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Category: food

  • Food Review: Sir Dukes Bar & Grill, Wetherby | QueenBeady

    Food Review: Sir Dukes Bar & Grill, Wetherby | QueenBeady

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    There is nothing I enjoy more than a good burger joint. Sadly, you have to venture to the bigger cities near us such as Leeds, York or Harrogate to be given some meat-a-licious joy. But not now. Now we have the wonderful Sir Dukes to wet our burger ridden appetite.

    Recently opened in the old spot of Bon Appetite, this new Bar & Grill gives our little Market Town of Wetherby something it has been missing for a long, long time. Whilst we do have a few select, lovely restaurants in the area we just lack those funky little spots that echo that city charm that we very rarely get in the countryside. I for one could not be happier with this place.

    Located in an old, limestone building it oozes that farmhouse style but then when you walk through the door it becomes very quirky. Lots of random pieces of art throughout that you don’t know where to look. We were here early doors to enjoy the Buy 1 get 1 free offer that they are currently promoting so we got a nice spot right next to the original fireplace and at the window for some perfect people watching fun.

     

    We were handed two menus by a lovely host (who I must commend on his royal blue suit – top marks for style there!) Whilst the menu is predominantly meaty, they don’t do too many options which I think is good as it keeps things simple and the process of eating out so much less stressful of having to choose. This place offers burgers, hanging kebabs and a selection from the grill. All of which made my mouth water at the thoughts. I ummed and ahhed about which burger to go for between a simple burger with cheese and trimming or the ‘’Grand Old Duke of Pork’’ (I love the play on words here!) and settled for the latter.

    Sir Dukes Grand Old Duke of Pork

    Of course, I was not disappointed with my choice. A thick locally reared beef burger, lashing of pulled pork and peanut butter sauce, accompanied with a honey glazed spare rib, bacon popcorn and some skinny fries. I will wait whilst you just take that in, because it took me a while to process it when it was put in front of me!

    You know those meals you get that just cannot be put in to words how good it was? Well this is one of those moments. EVERY. SINGLE. BITE. Was just ridiculously tasty. The beef was cooked to perfection and the pulled pork and peanut butter sauce tasted like a dream and really complimented one another. Bacon popcorn? I hear you say! Yes, and despite all of the odds that should be against it, it was amazing and tasted exactly like a piece of bacon should do. The honey glazed spare rib was perfectly succulent and fell off the bone, just how I like it! And the skinny fries, well you can see where this blog post is going, were DIVINE, especially when it was lashed with Sir Dukes own home made BBQ & Whiskey sauce.

    Okay, so of course we were ready to pop after this delicious meal. However, nothing was going to stop us wanting some form of desert afterwards & Sir Dukes do cakes pretty well here. Mr C opted for the Chocolate Fudge Rolo cake which just melted in your mouth (of course I stole a cheeky bite, or two? I have to I’m his wife!)

    Sir Dukes Rolo

    Whilst he chomped away on the sickly sweet desert I opted to try out one of the cocktails they had on offer, priced at £6 it wasn’t the cheapest cocktail but as we were eating on the BOGOF deal I thought I might as well treat myself & boy am I glad I did?! I opted for the ‘’Solero’’ cocktail which is a passion fruit flavoured drink that is amazing. It was sweet but had a nice tart after kick which I like with my cocktails. It certainly went down a treat!

    Sir Dukes Solero Cocktail

    After our bellies being delightfully full and VERY happy we asked for the bill. Marcus, the owner came over and say Hello as I had mentioned on Twitter & Facebook that we were heading over for a bite to eat which was lovely. All the staff made us feel so welcome and I think this will pay dividends with the local community.

    The bill came to a grand total of £33 + tip. This included, two burger with skinny fries, 2 coleslaws, 2 Peroni’s, Chocolate Fudge Rolo cake & a Solero cocktail – I thought it was extremely reasonable for the quality and standard of food we had just feasted on. They even give you wham bars with your bill which wins me over alone!

    Overall this new Bar & Grill is a refreshing new joint in Wetherby, if you like cool and quirky with a burger thrown in to the mix then I would not hesitate suggesting this local restaurant! It was a first time experience and it certainly won’t be our last. I wish it all it’s success, however I don’t think it needs my wishes as they seem to be doing everything right without them!

    I love to hear about local eateries so if you know of any then let me know, I’d love to hear from you!

    Rebecca xxx

  • Wetherby Food Festival | QueenBeady

     

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    When you live somewhere for a long time you very rarely look past what meets the eye. You take things for granted and don’t see for what it is worth. This weekend proved that despite our local town being a ‘’same old, same old’’ kind of place we were wowed with the Wetherby Food Festival this past weekend. And as soon as someone mentions food, I am there.

    So on Sunday afternoon we found ourselves heading down to the Ings by the river to experience some culinary delights and get our senses lusting after food that we don’t normally get to try! Cue photo overload.

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    First things first, we had to wet our alcoholic appetite and we were not dissapointed with the amount of drinks stalls availabe. As much as I love prosecco I really fancied trying some locally made raspberry cider. I can’t say I was overly overjoyed with my choice as it was extremely tart and still tasted like pear cider. I expected it to be like a mixed fruit type of cider. Clearly not.

    Despite the terrible choice in beverage it was time to have a look round and see what food was on offer. I have a penchant for filling my stomach & I enjoy good food. Hence the gut that you may see in a few photos time. I am determined to go on a health kick so what better way than to spend my last Sunday as a ‘’free eating woman?’’

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    Who doesn’t love a good old, restored, vintage caravan? Hands down. THIS is my ultimate dream. I would just adore the chance of being able to restore my own caravan and create a pop up cafe from time to time as a little hobby. The guys at Crepe Escape have done an amazing job. And what’s better they have painted it in my favourite colour too!

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    Yep, there is fatty bum bum – I have indulged in a few cream cakes recently, my hair is windswept and Mr C can never take a good photo of me. I will stick to a tripod next time.

    For those of you who care I kept my look simple and despite the glorious weather it was pouring it down in the morning so I thought I would put some jeans on. BIG MISTAKE.

    Top | Zara (eBay find)

    Jeans | Topshop Baxter

    Shoes | Birkenstocks

    Now, on to the food…

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    Mr C indulged in a super, doubly spicy chorizo burger which he said was extremely tasty. I have to agree it looked amazing as well.

    I opted for Paella from Black Bull Paella. It was fresh and had just been made which made even more appetising. Big chunks of chicken & chorizo is exactly what I like in a paella. It was quite oniony but it was still delicious and quite spicy too. As fan of a little kick we were not disappointed with our choices.

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    I’m sure you will agree, EVERYTHING, looked amazing & so delicious. In fact my mouth is watering at the sight of the beautiful, hand pick strawberries. (Insert strawberry Emoji / heart eyes face here!)

    Not only was there food and drink available they had kitted out the festival with two stages for performances it so it really felt like you were at a festival with some local, home-grown musical talent too! These guys below were awesome with the little accordian!

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    Honestly, credit goes to the organisers because I have never seen Wetherby so busy before and it was clearly enjoyed by all. The entry was only £2.50 to get in which was an absolute bargain for a full day of entertainment. I hope it is back next year, even bigger & better than this year!

    What did you do this weekend? Does your home town offer something similar every year? I’d love to hear from you!

    Rebecca xxx

    Ps. If you want to get Festival ready why not head over to my giveaway and enter to win a pair of Hunter Wellies, click here!

  • The Wedding Diaries: We all scream, for Ice Cream | QueenBeady

    The Wedding Diaries: We all scream, for Ice Cream | QueenBeady

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    The Ice Cream Van was a MUST! I argued this point to every Tom, Dick & Harry who thought it was a stupid idea as the desert. In the end, everyone handed it to me. It was a great touch! Alex from Sweet Scoops was absolutely adorable and possibly the cutest little bean I have ever met. The whole thing just suits her down to the ground.

    She had decorated the van with our wedding date and our married ‘’Mr & Mrs’’ and even played music as she came down. Everything about it just made me a little giddy kipper (more than I am normally!)

    The ice cream flavours were the delicous Yorvale brand and it was so tasty. We had sorbets and ice cream flavours so there was something for everyone!

    Sadly Mr C could not manage an ice cream (despite telling me everyday before the wedding he was going to eat 100!) as he was busy being a little bit sick after eating too much blue cheese from the cheese platters! (This makes me really sad that he spent some of his wedding day with his head down the toilet!)

    What did you do on your wedding day that made it a little different or did you have an ice cream van too?

    Rebecca xxx

    Images taken by Jenny Prest Photography

  • Food Review: The Fox & Hounds, Walton | QueenBeady

    We found ourselves at our local pub on Saturday night celebrating 4 weeks of marriage (we so weren’t, it was just an absolute coincidence!)

    The Fox & Hounds, Walton provided the food at our wedding and they did not disappoint at all. Some family members have travelled some distances since our big day to try the other fairings that our lovely pub can offer. I assure you it is worth it.

    The pub is ran by brothers Alan & Gareth and has also been nominated for an “Olivier Award”.

    The pub itself is a typical countryside drinking house & even with it’s own resident stuffed fox called Basil. It offers all quirks and charms than what meets the eye.

    All produce is locally sourced and cooked lovingly by chefs. Alan & Gareth often roll up their sleeves!

    On arrival we were greeted like you would be at your local pub. First term names exchange are always nice & make it feel a little bit special. Or lovingly greeted as, Mr & Mrs Clayton (yes. I know I keep banging on about it but its just so exciting!)

    We ordered a pint & a half of Becks Vier to set the tone. They even serve prosecco by the glass which is lethal for me, however I opted for a beer!

    The Fox & Hounds has a FABULOUS offer – 2 courses for £10! That runs Monday – Saturday (Friday & Saturday you are required to be sat before 6.30pm). They decided that they could do slightly smaller portions at a reasonable price which is just fab!

    After scrutinising the menu, they had changed the options and I hadn’t seen this menu before. I opted for mussels in a garlic & white wine sauce (my favourite starter!) and Mr C decided on the roasted parsnip soup. My starter was fabulous, plenty of sauce to scoop the mussels up with. James enjoyed his soup, the only criticism was that it was just a little salty! They don’t need to ver indulge in the salt & pepper here as everything is just so tasty and fresh.

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    There was a little bit of a wait between courses but Alan always wants to make sure that the food is hot & cooked to perfection. It was quite nice to just sit and chat without feeling rushed.

    When our meals came we were pretty happy with our choices. They always manage to make it look so good (as well as tasty!)

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    James went for fish & chips, which he proclaimed that they were better than our firm favourite fish and chip takeaway! So that was a bold statement, it came with home cut chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce.

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    I’m a burger fiend. Everytime we I out I am drawn to a burger. I just love the bread, meat & cheese combo. It’s a winner everytime.

    I ordered my burger medium (after much deliberation) & it came perfectly. My burger came with homemade chips & salad. The chips were just to die for. So deliciously scrumptious! The burger was nice, however, a little on the greasy side. To say the portions were meant to be on the smaller side, I was so full! I could not eat all of it.

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    After a little wait & ever the greedy guzzler I am I decided that I would have a desert. Warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. HEAVEN ABOVE. This is quite frankly the BEST desert I have ever eaten. It just melts in your mouth and tastes dream like. I managed all but one mouthful & writing this now is making me wish I had eaten the lot! Even if it had have killed me.

    If you are ever in the area & want a delicious meal that won’t set you back then I would thoroughly suggest visiting The Fox & Hounds in Walton because you won’t be disappointed.

    The Bill
    1 & a half glasses of Becks Vier
    Roasted Parsnip Soup
    Mussels in white wine sauce
    Fish & chips
    Beefburger & chips
    Chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream
    TOTAL £30.80

    Rebecca xxx

  • The Wedding Diaries: The Cake | QueenBeady

    The Wedding Diaries: The Cake | QueenBeady

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    I thought the best way to bring you a snap shot of our special wedding day would be to do short, little blog posts to let you in on some of the special moments of our big day.

    The Cake was truly magnificent. It was everything I had hope for and more. My Aunty Kate was fabulous as she knew exactly the right person to go to for obligatory wedding cake. The very talented Amy from The Cakery whipped up our 3 tier cake, the bottom cake was a rich, dark fruit cake, the middle tier was a simple, quintessential Victoria Sponge and the top tier was a deliciously gooey chocolate cake! We had the best of all different cake flavoured worlds. It was finished with a beautiful, blue buttercream which tasted divine!

    You can see that the time and effort spent on this was quite simply a testament to Amy’s hard work. Everyone loved how it captured our whimsical theme.

    The cake stand was made by my amazing Uncle who also helped with a few of the other DIY projects we wanted for the wedding and they will follow in another post.

    My Mum is a super crafter and she created the gold, glitter bunting for the cake topper. We loved the ‘’Mr & Mrs’’ theme and thought this was much more ‘’us’’ than a traditional Bride & Groom on top!

    So, what did you have on your wedding day for a cake? Was it as cute as ours? I’d love to hear from any other Brides who might be falling in to the ‘’Post wedding blues’’ stage like I am so we can just chat merrily about Wedding’s all day long. That is a plea, a request and a downright beg for someone to help!!!

    Rebecca xxx

    Images taken by Jenny Prest Photography