The Courtyard Kitchen

Headed up to Botley this morning to visit the Courtyard Kitchen, which is in the yard at Botley Mills.

 

Got there for 0900, and we were the first in. Lovely spacious and quaintly furbished old building,

Lovely interior

 

with various hand made crafts and paintings on display for sale.

Lovely snug area

That, sadly, was the good bit. There was one girl working there, about 20 yrs old,  who was nice enough but no overly impressed to have customers (even though they were open). Ordered the full cooked breakfast with 2 coffees.

Coffee - like dishwater (and filter too!). The cooked breakfast arrived, looked lovely.

It looked so good....

Looks can be deceiving. And they were! Yuk!

 

But - the sausage was just about raw. Neither of us would even take it home for the dogs. Ditto the bacon - with fat running off it. Baked beans - fine (difficult to go wrong!), Fried egg ok. Mushrooms - too greasy. Tomato - under-cooked. Toast - wholegrain - but under-toasted.

Such a shame. Wimps that we were, we didn't go and complain straight away (but having it re-cooked wouldn't had made a difference as we were put off by then!). Took the half full plates up to the girl, who did say sorry (not profusely enough though!), and only charged us £5 instead of £15 (we hadn't mentioned the dishwater coffee). Apparently she was the only one in - so cooking as well as serving.

Would it have been better if more staff on? A chef/cook maybe? (this lass didn't look as if she had any chef qualifications) .... who knows.

So we would not recommend this for breakfast, unless you specify you want your cooked breakfast 'cooked'!

To compensate  - we went up the road to the café within the Hillier Garden Centre, Absolute heaven. Cheerful friendly service. Coffee (lovely!) and cake (yum yum).

Lemon cake (top) coffee/vanilla cake (bottom)

 

We have been there before and they do a smashing breakfast (though we are both put off cooked breakfasts now...for how long?!)

Dogs had there usual chilled week, although as it was lovely and warm they have found it fairly hot out walking.

Jessie having a giggle?!

Panting Jake

Smily peg

Pol cooling down on the kitchen floor after a hot walk

 

So we have to carry water if not streams/rivers around. Jake and Jessie came for the evening to stay with Polly and Peggy (and Jan). All well behaved, though hard for Jan to eat her supper with 4 pairs of eyes looking longingly at her food!

The view whilst Jan eating supper (Peg was sitting looking over her shoulder!)

Nice walk this afternoon down at the Strawberry Field in Warsash and along the Hamble river.

Jessie giving her mum palpitations by walking on the wall along the Hamble river

Jake has been doing really well, but ever now and then gets a carry to give his legs a rest.

Jakes mastered the dog 'walk'ing!

 

And he definitely likes being carried as settles in for the ride.

Pol's an expert at eating a marrowbone

Peg struggling to hold her bone

And lastly - a little portrait of Jan's beloved sister (!!), to thank her for her weekly dedication in reading our blog! (she has a link alert - marvellous stuff!)

Jsn's very old elder sister!

Comments always welcome!
xx