In eager anticipation.........

It’s strange, although possibly just a fact of life, but in the space of just a couple of days I’ve gone from having nothing to write about, to having a real abundance. As anticipated, Friday’s visit to the Black Country, postponed from last August due to me contracting COVID, has provided a wealth of material, ranging from some truly classic and unspoilt pubs that offered beers from a number of small, family-owned breweries, which have managed to survive from a time that predates the birth of CAMRA.

Three of the five pubs visited had been on my bucket list for many years, so it was doubly satisfying to experience them at first hand, and be able to enjoy some truly excellent beers, in surroundings that have changed little over the past century. Sharing these riches with others who not only appreciate them but are much more familiar with their charms than I am, added to the experience.

Before launching into a full-blown article about my day out in the Black Country, I want to finish off a piece which I’d started earlier in the week. It is one which designed to tie in a few of the loose threads left over from a previous article about the joys of going out for breakfast at the weekend, so please bear with me until this post is out of the way. I mentioned in my Ides of March post that the lad and I were planning on enjoying a Sunday breakfast at a local pub, but as is sometimes the case, the best laid plans can often go astray. This was certainly the case last Sunday when, after selecting the Ivy House in Tonbridge, as somewhere to enjoy a traditional English breakfast, we ended up being disappointed.

The Ivy House is one of the oldest buildings in Tonbridge. It is an attractive old tile-hung building which dates back to the 15th Century. Formerly known as the Elephant & Castle, the pub is said to take its name from the mass of ivy that once covered the exterior. The pub has had quite a chequered history, particularly in recent years. When I first came to Tonbridge, it was a two-bar establishment, popular with bikers and those of a slightly "bohemian" disposition. Later, when I last worked in Tonbridge (1996-2001), the Ivy House had a good reputation for food, and the company I worked took full advantage of this and used the pub as somewhere to wine and dine visiting customers.

There has been several changes at the Ivy House, since that time, the most recent being just after the pandemic. Mrs PBT’s has been in the pub more times than I have, since those changes, having dined there, with friends, on several occasions, and following her recommendation, I decided that Matthew and I would give the pub’s breakfast option a try. When we arrived the other Sunday, it seemed as if half the population of Tonbridge were also there for the same purpose, as the place was heaving. We were asked whether we had a reservation, and whilst I had considered making one, I decided against this, primarily because I was unsure of the time, we would be ready.

The discipline of rising at a certain time for work, during the week, leads to a much more relaxed feeling at weekends, and because of this I didn’t want to commit to a specific time. I had also noticed from the pub’s website, that “walk-ins” were available, so to my mind, at least, there was no requirement to book a table. Unfortunately, the girl on the door advised they could only honour bookings, due to the non-appearance of a member of the kitchen staff. Sorry, and all that, but as mentioned above, we could see the situation the pub was in, so we thanked her and departed, in search of somewhere else.

Time was getting on, so when Matthew suggested Spoons, I agreed, much to his surprise. We walked back along the High Street, dodging the puddles produced by the heavy rainfall, and whilst the Humphrey Bean was also very busy, managed to find a table on the raised section, away from family groups with their “well-behaved” little darlings. The Spoons offering was around half the price of that in the Ivy House, or at least the £4.99 Traditional Breakfast I opted for was. Being a growing lad, Matthew ordered the £6.59, Large Breakfast – quelle surprise, so after bunging him sufficient to cover my repast, plus a refillable coffee, I despatched him to the bar, and settled down to read about the current Spoons Beer Festival.

There was a time when I wouldn’t have missed one of these, and it’s encouraging that Tim is continuing with them, including the practice of visiting brewers from overseas, visiting these shores in order to brew a special beer, based on a brew that is available in their home country. Companies with sufficient capacity, such as Banks, Adnam’s and Fuller’s usually provide the facilities and equipment necessary to produce such beers, but being something of a purist, I would rather have the real thing, imported from the visiting brewers home country. To my mind, these guest “foreign” brews lack the provenance associated with the real thing, although I’ve been criticised as a "beer snob” before, for expressing such views.

I mentioned that the Humphrey Bean was crowded, and I believe this was due to the inclement weather. Sunday morning is traditionally the time for those families with sporty off-spring, to bring their charges down to the sports ground, a large flat area, enclosed by a loop of the river Medway that contains a large number of playing fields – football as well as rugby. These sports mad kids can let off steam to their hearts content, whilst their parents (usually the fathers), shout words of encouragement from the touchline. Sometimes, when emotions are running high, the encouraging words will be exchanged for insults, which doesn’t set a good example, but these highly competitive, "pushy parent" types, forget that what takes place on the pitches is only a game!

The staff at the Humphrey Bean coped admirably, with the larger than expected number of customers, and I was quite happy sitting there enjoying several flat white coffees from the reliable machine, before our breakfasts arrived. The pub itself, seemed to have mellowed somewhat from what I remember, or perhaps it was just me in a more relaxed mood.

 

 

Adam's ale

Yes, you did read that headline correctly, and I wasn’t talking about Southwold’s finest, after leaving a letter out of their name. Instead, I’m talking about water, yes plain, unadulterated and some might day boring water, even though without this molecule there would be no life on earth, and none of us would be here.

Water (chemical formula: H2O) is a colourless and transparent fluid which forms the world's streams, lakes, oceans, and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of organisms. As a chemical compound, a water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms that are connected by covalent bonds.

"Adam's ale" is a colloquial expression, that referred to plain water. The term is thought to have originated in 16^th or 17^th centuries and is a reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where water is said to have been their only drink. In this sense, "Adam's ale" is used to refer to water as being a natural and basic necessity for life, much like it was for Adam & Eve.and if water was good enough for old Adam, it should be good enough for us. That's if you believe such people existed, of course, but even if you don't the allegory is there and remains valid, for discussions such as this.

It goes without saying, of course, that Adams ale is not to be confused with “Adnams ale”, which refers to the product of the well-known brewery from Southwold in Suffolk. The term Adams ale became popular in Victorian times, particularly with the rise of the anti-alcohol, Temperance movements, and yet the majority of us tend to eschew the fluid that is literally the “water of life.” Water is essential for life. It helps with everything from transporting nutrients around your body to controlling your temperature. It can even help you to have healthier skin.

UK Government advice on fluids is to consume 6-8 glasses per day (around 1.2 litres in total, which equates to 6 x 200ml glasses or 8 x 150ml glasses). Those doing strenuous physical activity or living in hotter or more humid climates may need more than this, so it is important to drink sufficient fluids in order to keep your body hydrated. Most adults need between 2 to 2.5 litres of fluid a day, which is around 8 glasses. We get most of the fluid we need from drinks, but some also comes from the foods we eat, such as soups, stews, fruit, and vegetables. It is important to make sure we replace the amount of fluid our bodies lose each day, in order to prevent us becoming dehydrated.

Ready for a few more facts – our bodies lose about 1.5 litres of fluid a day when we pee, around 200ml in a typical bowel movement, and about 500ml through sweat. In addition, we also lose fluid just by breathing. To complicate things further, the exact amount of fluid we need depends on things such as, age, exercise, plus climate and environment. To elaborate, as we get older our bodies store less water and our kidneys don’t work as well as they once did. In addition, the more physical activity we undertake, then the more we need to drink, and finally if it’s hot and are sweating a lot, then we need to drink more fluids.

Returning to Adam’s ale, water is a good choice when it comes to meeting your body's needs for fluids. It doesn't have any calories and if you drink tap water – it’s free. If you don’t like the taste, then you can add a slice of lemon or a little sugar free cordial. 

The flavour angle is an interesting one, as for years I steered clear of water, purely because I didn’t like the taste. Instead, I preferred squash, or fruit juices, and although I enjoyed fizzy drinks, whilst in my teens, I soon realised that these so-called “sodas” – as the Americans would describe them, weren’t terribly good for one, given their high levels of sugar or, even worse, artificial sweeteners. 

It was when I began long-distance walking that I switched to drinking water – mainly the stuff that comes out of the tap, but sometimes shop bought, bottles water instead. I managed to put aside my dislike of its taste, and whilst beer, tea and coffee will always remain as my favourite drinks, I am more than happy to enjoy a swig of Adam’s ale, straight out of my water bottle. This is especially true, after a strenuous hill-climb, when out on a cross-country ramble, or whilst stopping for a “breather,” on a long, and an equally demanding walk.

It's only when you are really thirsty though, and I mean so thirsty that your mouth is dry, your tongue feels cracked, and all you can think about is a glass of cool, clear, and refreshing water, that Adam’s ale really comes into its own. For this reason, my water bottle is filled and ready, every time I set out on a hike, and if the weather is especially warm, and the walk long, then I will often take a second bottle of water along with me as well.

There is normally a glass of water by my bedside at night, as well, because it isn’t that unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night, with a dry mouth and feeling thirsty. I also have my water bottle perched on my desk at work, as I feel it’s important to stay well-hydrated throughout the day. So, whilst beer remains my favourite, and go-to drink, water now fulfills a role when drinks such as tea and coffee are not available, and when drinking alcohol, would not be a good idea (at work, before getting behind the wheel of a car, first thing in the morning, etc)

 

The Ides of March

As I gazed out over the rain-soaked landscape, last Tuesday, I was left wondering whether it’ would ever stop raining. As we move from winter into early spring, it’s hard to recall a wetter period of weather, even though prolonged spells of wet weather probably aren’t that unusual at this time of year. What’s perhaps more disconcerting, has been the almost total absence of frosts this winter, and whilst some might welcome the relatively mild conditions, give me any day a bright, crisp, and dry morning, even if it does mean having to scrape the car, before leaving for work.

Fruit trees, so I’ve been told, require periods of frost during winter, in order the bear a reasonable crop of fruit - something to do with the tree going into a deep hibernation (if that's possible), before springing back with a flourish with the arrival of spring.  In addition, sub-zero conditions are also the gardener’s friend, as they help break up lumpy soil, as well as killing off numerous garden pests, but this year cold snaps have been few and far between.

For those of us itching to get our hiking boots on and head out into the great outdoors, the current damp conditions are doubly frustrating as because even with
the right footwear and assorted protective rainwear, there’s nothing more soul-destroying than walking through a rain-soaked landscape. I’ve still got a stage and a half of the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk to complete - Eridge to Groombridge and Groombridge to Southborough, so what ought to be a relatively easy walk to complete, is turning out to be anything but.

What walk next though, the Greensand Ridge, perhaps? It is quite remote in places but passes through some stunning countryside. Unfortunately, it lacks some of the convenient public transport links which characterise the North Downs Way, so there is potential for a few overnight stops, preferably at a location or two where there’s a decent pub. Meanwhile, back to the weather.

Too much persistent rain can also lead to flooding, a situation that none of us wish to see, but one that has become all too common in recent years. It’s noticeable on my commute to and from work when the drive can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare. Whichever route I take involves crossing the river Medway, which is the main channel into which the local streams and ditches discharge their surplus of water. With little respite between weather systems and the ground already saturated from previous heavy rain, it isn’t long before water running of from the fields, starts washing across the roads, and before you know it, they are axle deep in flood water and virtually impassable.

So, what has all this got to do with pubs, beer, and the enjoyment of both? Well, more than you might think. Shops and other retail outlets often report a reduction in footfall during spells of persistent wet weather. The hardware store where son Matthew works certainly does, and I’m sure that pubs are affected in a similar fashion. After all, when the rain is lashing down outside, who wants to step outside and leave the comfort and warmth of their own home?

As the week wore on, there was a gradual improvement in the weather, and by the time Thursday arrived it was quite pleasant. Time for a few cheeky beers you might think, but unfortunately, I’d agreed to sort some stuff out at home, for Mrs PBT’s. We’ve embarked on a joint, sort out- de-cluttering operation that’s been long overdue. She might not thank me for saying so, but my good lady wife is an inveterate hoarder, and now having finally realised the extent of her hanging onto things that really aren’t worth keeping, she’s gone into full-blown clear-out mode.

We’re therefore on a bit of a roll at the moment, and to complicate matters further, I thought it good to get ahead of things on the garden. I managed to get a fair amount of preparatory work done in both garden and greenhouse, during the previous “dry” spell, including digging over what will be my new vegetable patch. I’ve also been attaching some trellis work to the fence, ready to provide support, when needed, for the climbing plants that Mrs PBT’s bought the other week.

There has been something of a lull on the beer front, but if all goes to plan, that should change next week, with that long-postponed visit to the Black Country scheduled for a weeks’ time. That should fulfil a long-cherished ambition to enjoy s few of the area’s finest heritage pubs, as well as renewing my acquaintance with Batham’s and Holden’s fine ales. Both companies are long-established Black Country brewers, whose products seem confined to the local area, and are rarely seen beyond the immediate local area.

As for more local matters, there seems very little happening at the moment, although West Kent CAMRA have two presentations to make this coming Wednesday in relation to this year’s Pub of the Year competition. There are no prizes for guessing the winner and runners up, but as it’s all becoming a little too predictable, I doubt I shall be showing my face. That’s not to take anything away from the worthy winners, but I would rather call in at the pubs in question (they are both in Tonbridge), when things are a little quieter.

Earlier today, Eileen and I took a drive over to the ASDA superstore at King’s Hill (site of the former West Malling airfield). We certainly know how to live, but it was worth it for the new pair of casual, boots I bought, reduced down from £35 to just £16. An absolute bargain, and leather as well. Part of the store’s “George” range, whoever George is - Mrs PBT’s will tell you, as she’s up on such matters, whereas the only things I am concerned about are their comfort and durability, plus, to a point, how they look.

Breakfast tomorrow, and once again a pub will probably be the venue. It’s as though events are starting to answer the question I raised, just three short posts ago. It could be that more and more public houses are waking up to the potential of opening their doors early, especially at weekends. The pub as we know it continues to evolve, and by doing so helps ensure its own survival.

This concludes this rather indulgent set of ramblings, looking back over the first half of March, the first two weeks of spring, no less. I know that some readers enjoy a sprinkling of domesticity woven into the blog, but as with Marmite, others find them boring and irrelevant. As the old saying goes, life isn’t all beer and skittles, and neither is it cakes and ale, but rest assured gentle reader, now that I’ve caught up somewhat on house and garden matters, normal service should be resumed very soon.

 

Braybrooke Lager Club - Traditional Bavarian beers, brewed in the heart of the English countryside

It's a rarity for me to sign up to any subscription service, even one that is promoting beer, but last summer, a certain one really caught my eye. Before revealing which one, it’s worth noting that there has been a dramatic decline in the number of beer subscription services, with one outfit in particular dominating the scene. Since the demise of Flavourly, in October of last year, Beer 52 now seems to have the monopoly in this field, apart from the growing number of breweries who supply their own products, by mail order.

A much smaller number of breweries will ship out a changing section of their beers, on a monthly basis, in exchange for a fixed sum, normally paid by direct debit. During the pandemic, local independent beer café Fuggles found themselves really struggling, so owner, Alex Greig came up with the idea of FUGSCLUB  a monthly beer subscription service that featured 12 beers each month, complete with tasting notes and occasional extra goodies. I signed up for the club, and during the real bad months of the COVID lockdown, was pleased to receive a selection of 12 interesting beers, delivered to my doorstep on a monthly basis.

Fast forward to 2023 when the Braybrooke Lager Club, appeared on my radar.The Braybrooke Beer Company is a specialist lager brewery situated on Braybrooke Farm. Situated on the edge of the village of Braybrooke, just outside of Market Harborough in the heart of the peaceful English countryside, the brewery was set up in 2017 by Luke, Nick, and Cam, three friends, with decades of combined experience in the food and drink industry. Braybrooke began with just one aim - to make really good lager for people who appreciate it. Over the past six years the friends have become real masters of their craft.  

The group’s love for quality and fine tasting lagers came from travels in Germany, which of course is one of the best lager-brewing countries in the world. Whilst there, they met Stephan Michel, owner of the well-known and highly respected Mahrs Brau brewery in Bamberg, which was founded in 1670. Stephan put the group in touch with the best malt, hop and yeast suppliers to make great lager. Head Brewer Alexis came on board, adding to Braybrooke his experience at some of the best breweries in Europe.

Making the best lagers takes a lot of work, and it starts with the best ingredients. To source these the friends looked to Germany, and source all their malt from that country. The malt is milled on site just before every brew for utmost freshness, and the company also imports a range of classic German hop varieties, directly from a renowned hop farm in Tettnang. Their house lager yeast comes from Bavaria and is shipped overnight for maximum quality. The final, and some say, most important ingredient is the home-sourced, local Midlands water.

Braybrooke’s semi-automated, three vessel 10hL brew-house is used to turn these classic Teutonic ingredients into some of the finest lager biers, outside of Germany using traditional techniques such as decoction mashing, to create a deeper maltiness in the final beer. This is really evident in the finished products. 

Following mashing, boiling, and cooling, the beers are fermented at 9ºC, colder and slower than standard commercial lagers.  Primary fermentation, which takes about a week, is followed by a long period of maturation at 2 to 3ºC in traditional horizontal tanks for a minimum of 30 days. That’s 6 weeks from grain to glass! This process is called lagering and it’s the most important part of making the beer, as the live yeast keeps working and the beer becomes naturally carbonated, smoother, and brighter.

No fining agents are used, and no filtration takes place either, instead the beer clears naturally. In order to have total control over the entire process, Braybrooke packages every bottle and keg themselves, and holds the finished product at 4ºC in their cold store to keep the beer as fresh as possible. Every step taken results in beers that are well structured and rather complex, so with this in mind, how could I turn down the chance of enjoying some of these delicious lagers?

 The chance came when I stumbled across the Braybrooke Lager Club, a community for lager lovers founded on the principle good beer brings people together and focusing purely on the best lagers around from both Braybrooke and other like-minded breweries. Members of Braybrooke Lager Club enjoy a box of 12 bottles delivered to their door every month: a mixed case of our classic core beers (including their famous Keller Lager), specials and collaborations plus guest lagers each month specially selected by the club.

Members can pause or cancel their membership at any time, but with beers this good, why would you want to? I’ve been purchasing beers from the club, for the past few months, and have not been disappointed. Below are of some of Braybrooke’s best-selling beers, with tasting notes, and illustrations, from the brewery's website.

For further information on the Braybrooke Beer Company, the beers it produces, and the Braybrooke Lager Club, please click on the links, embedded in the text.

 

It's a mystery as to why the stats don't stack up

It’s information overload at the moment, certainly as far as stories from the world of brewing are concerned, but with a common thread running through the majority of these announcements (over-capacity, set against a declining beer market), I’m going to take a step back and ask the question, “What makes a story newsworthy?” I’d be a very rich man if I knew the answer to that, as it’s the sort of probing question asked by news agencies and media corporations across the globe.

The reason I’m pushing for an answer on this, is partially due to a lack of inspiration on my part – basically I’m short of ideas for things to write about, at the moment, but also because I’m genuinely curious as to why certain stories fall by the wayside, whilst others generate an amount of interest that can be totally disproportionate to the topic in question. In my case the majority of posts are beer, pub or travel related, with the occasional foray into other topical subjects, including at times politics or other world-related events.

One interesting feature about Blogger, which is Google’s free, blog-hosting service, are the analytical statistics concerning an individual’s site, which are available at the click of a mouse. For example, you can look back at the number of page views by post, for now, the last 24 hours, the last 7 days, last 30 days, last 3, 6 or 12 months, and even for all time. It is that last option which is so interesting, especially where one or sometimes two or three individual articles, stand head and shoulders above the rest. When you’ve written in excess of 1,700 individual posts it’s fascinating to see which of that number attracted sufficient page views to top the poll.

The screenshot at the beginning of the article shows the 10 highest scoring posts, of all time, and as you can see the list is quite a disparate collection of articles, with no real common thread running through them.  Several are quite controversial, such as Time to ditch the Good Beer Guide, Who Needs Social Media? and most divisive of all, A sparkler is a device which ruins beer. That last post certainly reignited the north-south divide, but despite appearing to deliberately court controversy there was a serious side to it.

To date it has attracted 5.9K page views, and 118 comments – although the majority of the latter ones seem to be from Russian bots. It also comes in at No. 2 on the list. Attracting one less comment (and no Russian bots), but ending at the bottom of the pile is – Who needs social media? There was a fair share of controversy running through those comments, but very little when it comes to the out and out winner, Half and half. Attracting 12.7K page views, but only 18 comments, I am still at a loss to explain how a relatively innocuous post, about mixing beers (light & bitter, brown & mild, old & bitter etc), could emerge as top of the pile, with more than twice the page views of the runner up.

Another good start to the day!

A few weeks ago, the lad and I enjoyed a first class cooked breakfast, at the Little Brown Jug at Chiddingstone Causeway. The food was so good that I took to my keyboard and started bashing out a piece about our experience. I hadn’t written much before deciding to check out what I’d written before about going out for breakfast, and I looked for guidance at a piece I had written 10 months ago. That post resulted from a good experience we had at the Chaser Inn at Shipbourne, the latter settlement being an attractive and well-spaced-out village to the north of Tonbridge, at the base of the Greensand Ridge.

The Chaser is owned by the same small pub-group (Whiting & Hammond), that owns the Little Brown Jug, and it wasn’t long before I realised that what I was writing about the Jug, was a virtual repeat of last May’s post about the Chaser. So, rather than going over old ground, again, I started asking questions, regarding /the popularity, or otherwise of eating out for breakfast, especially when it involves a visit to the pub. 

Before going any further, with the honourable exception of Wetherspoon’s, not many pubs open for breakfast, particularly during the week. To do so, would mean either employing additional staff, or splitting shifts in order to open early. In addition, you’re never quite sure what the demand is going to be. Fortunately, most of the ingredients that go into a Full English– eggs, bacon, sausages etc. can be stored in the fridge and then cooked to order, but regardless of this, pubs serving breakfast are few and far between. Finally, pubs are far more likely to offer breakfast at weekends, than during the week.

Breakfasting out, especially at weekends, seems more of an American tradition than a British one, and on my first trip across the Atlantic, I went out for breakfast on several occasions, with my brother-in-law. Somewhat unusually for an American, Ernie doesn’t drink coffee, and doesn't eat eggs either - both of course being an essential make-up of a North American breakfast. We still managed to visit a few places though where there was food and drink (I’m talking about tea here), to satisfy both of us. Certainly, on my first visit to the US I breakfasted with my brother-in-law, and my sister joined us a couple of times as well. Whatever the origin of this custom it's good to drive off and grab something satisfying and filling, on a day when there’s no work to be done, and no need to hurry.

On my very first morning in the US, I was left to my own devices, as Ernie had to call in at the office for a couple of hours, and my sister, who worked as a teaching assistant (Uncle Sam didn’t recognise her UK teaching certificate), was also absent. Having slept well, despite a transatlantic flight, and a domestic one as well, I slipped out of bed, took a quick shower, and after dressing took a wander down into the quaint little, old-town section of Amherst – that’s Amherst Ohio as, like with Springfield, there are several other towns of the same name in the USA.

I don’t remember much about that compact little diner, let alone the items I chose for my breakfast, but I did feel more than a little self-conscious – an Englishman abroad, if you like. A few days later, Ernie drove the pair of us out to a much larger establishment, on the edge of town – a place that he said was worth visiting for the entertainment value, as much as the food. It was a help yourself breakfast buffet, where customers could eat as much as they liked. With hindsight, it reminds me very much of the breakfast buffets Eileen and I have experienced on cruise ships, so I expect the latter were very much modeled on the same principle as this type of American diner.

We grabbed what we wanted and sat down to enjoy our morning meal. With a subtle grin on his face, my brother-in-law said, “Watch out, the professionals will be in soon!” I wondered what he meant, until a several of the fattest and heaviest people (both sexes), waddled in, and began piling up their plates with bacon, sausages, hash browns, toast and all sorts of varieties of cooked eggs. They then slid their was y over to a convenient table and began devouring the mountain of food in front of them. Incredibly, many of them went back for a second helping. These gargantuan individuals were the professionals that Ernie was referring to, and as we watched with a mixture of fascination and disgust, he told me how ashamed he was of these fellow countrymen of his, and the way they were stuffing their faces.

This particular American diner probably wasn’t alone with its “all you can eat” menu, but there are places like this in the UK as well. Matthew has a friend who is a fan of these “greasy spoon” cafés, and unfortunately his liking for large platefuls of greasy, fried food is only too evident, by the size of him. As an occasional treat though, these establishments are fine, and I have written before about the two American-themed roadside restaurants called the OK Diner, with one at the side of each carriageway, on the busy A1 trunk road.

Both are just to the north of the attractive Lincolnshire town of Stamford. We have stopped at both establishments on trips to Yorkshire and back, but these appropriately named “pit stops” have been brunch destinations, rather than breakfast ones. With both establishments offering all-day breakfasts though, they help brighten up what can be otherwise, a long and boring journey.

Finally, no article about pubs serving breakfast would be complete without mentioning the famous “Spoons” offering. At Wetherspoons you know exactly what will be served up on those famous willow-pattern plates, and generally it is filling, tasty and good value for money. Over the years, Matthew and I have breakfasted in all three of our local JDW outlets (Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells), and by and large both the food and the service have been pretty good.

There are rumours that some of the breakfast ingredients are either pre-cooked or part cooked, which might explain why your meal arrives so quickly on you table, but when served at less than half the price of what we’ve paid at the Bruning & Price outlets, Spoons breakfasts are ideal for those on a budget, as well as in a hurry.

I shall leave it there, even though there’s plenty more I could write about the first meal of the day. We also haven't answered the question of why so few pubs have a breakfast offering. Matthew makes fun of me, when I tell him that breakfast is a good start to the day, but when on holiday a substantial meal, first thing in the morning, is usually enough to see me through to the evening.