Tuesday – Friday 16 – 19 September 2025

A cold, windy but clear day today. The boy cat seems to have recovered from his little tummy upset and as you would expect from cats, the last day here of the sit and both of them have decided that they need tummy rubs and some loving. Contrary bastards – cats.

Flashy got a decent backpack yesterday for £20 at the op shop. It will replace the suitcase because he refuses to lug a wheeled bag up and down all manner of stairs and hills during the next leg of European operations in Prague, Wroclaw Berlin and Paris. You see, this will all be by train, so two free hands are essential for grabbing, grappling (and punching pickpockets)!

Wednesday and Thursday were spent in Stockbridge with Laura Jane, which was a nice catch up for all concerned and on Friday we drove to Bath for the UK la Chaine des Rotisseurs, three day Grand Chapitre. The Welcome Dinner was held in the Bath Guildhall, with its ornate décor and large chandeliers. 

It was a very good menu. An arrival sparkling from South Africa, Klein Constantia was OK. Then it was upstairs to the Guildhall banquet room. The 200 guests were at tables of eight and we found ourselves at a table of retired nurses and doctors and a physicist, who Lady P engaged in conversation but didn’t understand a word he said. Nonetheless a pleasant Welcome Dinner. 

The courses and wines were quite good, but despite being in a 200 year old gilded room, there was not much pomp and ceremony and no entertainment. Flashy kept waiting for the toga clad washer women or the dancing Romans. Anyway, we started with smoked duck, balsamic gel on brioche with a Masi Veneto Campofiofin Oro 2021 (A red wine from Rosso Veronese, Verona, Northern Italy. Made from Corvina, Rondinella.) Then assiette of seafood with lime aioli. Poached salmon fillet, salmon rillette, gravalax with a 2023 Sancerre. Both these courses were perfectly portioned and beautifully plated. Less is  more, thank God. 

The main was a venison Wellington, potato. parve, peas, a carrot and some excellent Maderia jus. The Imperial 2015 Gran Resreva from Rioja was very good. In the French tradition, cheese came next. Grottin with goats cheese and tomato pesto. A tiny but perfect portion accompanied by a Dog Point NZ Sauvignon Blanc. Dessert was a white chocolate and raspberry tart with a Groot Constantia Buitenverwachtering 1769 sticky - a limited release, noble late harvest dessert wine made from the Muscat de Frontignan grape. And just when you think it is all over out comes the petit fours -very good too.

The lift has mirrors.
The Guildhall.
Assiette of seafood.
Venison Wellington.
Cheese course
Dessert
The Guildhall Banquet Hall.

Comments

  1. JohnE21 September 2025 at 15:31

    Looking rather distinguished there Prof.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Graeme23 September 2025 at 18:51

    Any mushrooms in the venison wellington? I notice some of the chaps aren't wearing ties and one bloke has his cap on! Has the hole world gone mad!

    ReplyDelete

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