I was recently asked to go along to this branch of Beefeater to review their menu ahead of Mother’s day and having not been down at this park before I was also interested to see what else was there.
We were booked into the restaurant for an earlyish meal around 6pm as a family of four before my eldest teen’s social like took priority and we became a party of three! When we arrived at Eureka Park it was clear to see the Beefeater was probably the main restaurant for the Premier Inn next to it and to be fair it seemed like it was one of the larger branches of the restaurant.
On entering it had a large bar area both with bar and table seating and seemed the perfect place for the people staying at the hotel to pop along in the evening and have a drink or some food. The reception area was a nice open space and we were greeted and seated straight away. Most of the seating in this branch is free standing tables and chairs however there is a diner style area of booth seating adjacent to the open cooking/ serving area and that’s were we were seated.
Last week I went along to the Coast To Coast American Grill Bar near Rochester to try out their menu and one of their lovely cocktails. I have never eaten in this chain of restaurants before so I was keen to try out something from their menu.
When we walked in it reminded me of another chain of ‘american grill style’ restaurants. It was nicely laid out with lots of booth seating and it automatically gave off a lively, fun, easy going feel.
We were seated in a circular booth seating area that looked over the restaurant and we could could also see the open style cooking area. It was a Saturday evening so the restaurant was fairly busy but this did not distract from the service we received while we were there.
In all honesty I haven’t been to a Beefeater in a few years, therefore when I was invited to go along and review the newly refurbished The Long Reach Beefeater in Whitstable I jumped at the chance to see what they were like these days, I have seen lots of Beefeater restaurants pop up alongside Premier Inn’s as their resident eatery so unless I went in stayed there I probably wouldn’t think of going in to try it. Also Whitstable is one of my all time favourite places to have a day out so it was a good excuse for a little afternoon at the coast.
This particular Beefeater is attached to Premier Inn just outside the main town, but had undergone a huge refurbishment at the the end of Oct 2015 when it closed for just a week for the work to be done.
I was recently invited to have lunch at my local Marriott Hotel in Bexleyheath and having only been in there once before many years ago for an afternoon tea with friends I took the opportunity to go and have a look at what was there. It has always ‘appeared’ quite business like to me as an outsider however, once you are inside the spacious and open reception area automatically that view is changed.
Love these light trees dotted about the hotel areas
We were directed to the bar area which is much more informal than the restaurant looked and also had a different menu on offer. The bar had a welcoming feel with a mix of table styles, smaller ones with straight backed chairs as you would expect but also lower style tables surrounded by lovely comfy sofas for those who were just having a drink rather than eating.
While my friend and I was there we saw two other groups having an afternoon tea, as well as two ladies in their spa robes ( yes they have a spa here too) who wandered casually in for a drink and snacks in between their treatments which in fact we thought they were very brave to do so!
I will admit the only time I have used a Brewers Fayre is when I have stayed in a Premier Inn. It was a branch of the restaurant attached and each time we have been happy enough with the style of food and the choice offered.
Recently, in my local area a new Brewers Fayre has popped up next to a new hotel branch in Bexleyheath and I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out their menu.
In general there is a good varied choice of dishes available. But along side that there is a ‘midweek value’ style offer which allows you to get 2 mains off the list for £10.99, with the bonus of 2 starters for £2.50, and 2 desserts for £2.50. Their fizzy soft drinks are also sold as a refillable option which offers amazing value when you have teenagers that eat and drink like adults. They also have added some new menu choices under an ‘Autumn range‘ throughout the main menu such as Cock- a – Leekie soup, Chicken and ham pie or even Smoked Haddock Florentine to name a couple.
First of all I am publically declaring that I DETEST my hair! I was obviously last in the line for hair and ended up with an auburn (used to be bright ginger) naturally frizzy curly mop that I can do nothing with.
However, in saying that we all have to make the best of what we have so I apply anti frizz and curl defining cream to help make it more curly and less of a ‘just plugged myself into the electric’ look. I occasionally straighten it which in all honesty I prefer however, it is such a palava and takes so long that I just cant be bothered unless it’s a special occasion.
My hairdryer is just a little small travel one with one speed and an open nozzle, I know this doesn’t help me much but due to my muscular pain I cannot hold anything heavier for any length of time before it gets too sore and uncomfortable.
I have been lucky enough to snaffle one of these to have a go at. Any regulars will know I HATE my hair! It’s long, thick, naturally curly (YUK) Oh and did I mention it’s Auburn in colour…………………………I repeat I HATE my hair.
One of my bug bares about it is that it takes soooooo long to dry and don’t get me started on how much effort and time it takes to straighten. Without paying a fortune I find it difficult to find a hairdryer that does the job properly, quickly and includes a few of the necessary gadgets ( diffuser etc).
But I’m going to have a go at this one:
It seems to have everything I need from the diffuser to the different brushes I need to either straighten or curl it. I have never had a hairdryer this powerful so again I’m hoping it will speed the whole process up for me. The only thing I’m not sure about yet is the weight of it. It seems quite light but as I suffer with constant muscular pain due to my M.E I’m hoping it wont be too heavy to hold for any length of time- but hopefully the power side of things will help me out there. it also came very well packaged too so was in great condition when it arrived.
Anyway, will let you know what I think when I have used it all properly!
I was lucky enough to come home from a great camping holiday, with the home journey from hell (thanks to the very lovely M25!) to these beauties:
I know a fab welcome home gift! Sent for us to review and give our opinion on.
Now I could just open them and throw them at the tween and teen as though they were wild animals in the zoo ( let’s face it they act like it most of the time) however, the most I would get from them is a grunt of approval for not force feeding them fruit and veg.
It became apparent that the only one showing lots of interest in both the box and the bags was the ‘Diva’ of the house- No not me you evil lot *glares all around* my 3 year old cat who literally rules this school!
So much so that I couldn’t even turn my back from a bag or I was faced with this:
CAUGHT IN THE ACT!
She’s a bit like the man from Del Monte (remember him or am I just showing my age?- no don’t answer that) if she approves then it’s a YES all round!
The DIVA CAT says YES!
Now these crisps were given the thumbs up in this gaff and not just because the Diva Cat said so. First of all we like ridged crisps- they just make you feel your getting more for your money somehow ( c’mon you know the feeling of opening a bag of crisps and being disappointed at the measly amount inside). To be honest ready salted goes down well with us and these Walkers Mighty Lights were no different, in fact they had almost a ‘meaty’ flavour of their own which we all commented on (apart from the cat as that would be silly!).
Here’s the technical stuff:
They come in 3 flavours- Roast Chicken, Cheese and Onion and Lightly Salted
There is approx 114 cals / 4.7g fat (0.5g sats) in each bag
They are 30% less fat than normal crisps
They are ridged (my fav’s)
There are no artificial flavours or preservatives or MSG, they are suitable for vegetarians, and are a source of Fibre!
So being lower in fat you don’t feel as guilty when you treat yourself to a bag or pop them into the kids lunches.
Now my absolute fav flavour crisp is Salt and Vinegar however they don’t do this flavour in Mighty Lights as yet but I will keep my fingers crossed for the future.
But don’t just take the Diva Cat’s word for it why not try them for yourselves?
DISCLOSURE: I was sent the items for review purposes and was compensated for my time- however, all words and views are my own- I can’t help it I like crisps!
Especially if you are a home owner with kids. I was always of the opinion that we didn’t have anything to put in a will until we got advice and realised that actually our house is a huge investment and really if we want our kids to inherit it then we need to get it down on paper.
My in-laws only did a will several years ago when they were in their late 60’s and yet when you think about it that is leaving it a tad late. However, they were of the opinion that everything would be split equally between their boys, and I am sure that had anything had happened that’s exactly what would of happened. Yet when we got our advice it was extremely interesting to hear and think about the different scenarios that could happen especially with me and my OH only being in our 40’s *cough* young whippersnappers!
Also what was great about our advice was that all of it was to benefit our kids. In that I mean ways that things could be arranged to keep everything managed UNDER the Inheritance Tax levels!! Now for every hard working, tax paying, home owning person out there………that is a MUST.
to review the Will service that he provides. We really had no idea what to expect and he was extremely patient with us when we looked at him blankly when he was going through the questions to find out where to start with us! Anyway we got through it and it really was food for thought. You don’t want to think about possibilities of going your separate ways or something happening to you or your partner but he definitely makes you realise how important it is to consider in order to make sure your children are put first ( which most couples would want).
The service started with a phone call for basic details, and then followed up the following week with a home visit from Ade. He was at our house for about an hour and a half although I’m sure if my OH hadn’t asked soooooo many questions it would have been concluded long before then.
A few days later hall the sent an email with an outline of our will and trusts to confirm everything and then another meeting is planned, again for the next week. However, as I was ill on the day I had to re arrange the date which Ade was very accommodating. On his return he had all the paperwork ( and there was loads!) which he had already completed for us and all we were doing was signing with a witness to complete.
Again he was super helpful, and patient as the paperwork can get confusing LOL
After that the service was complete and although he can hold the wills for you, you are welcome to keep them for yourselves which is what we opted for.
Some people would question why bother with the service when you can walk into somewhere like WH Smith and buy one you can fill out, however, if you are anything like us you won’t have a clue where to start. It’s easy to say that your children or family will share it all equally however, when money is involved people can become very greedy and that’s when things go wrong.
Having now experienced a full will service from a company I would always advise everyone to do the same, the advice was eye opening and invaluable and the fact all the paperwork is done for you is a Godsend as it’s all in technical speak! We also found that the signing in the right places by the correct person to be of paramount importance as a wrong signature could make the whole document null and void- again better to have someone to tell you exactly where to sign.
Now lets face it these sorts of services don’t come cheap, but I have searched on the net and found Ade’s service prices to be very competitive.
* A basic Will service with this company will cost you £180
* The Trusts and Power of Attorney are separate services which are charged at £450 each- However, if you take out both a Trust and Power of Attorney then the total for the two would only be £550!!
However, thankfully he offers a service where you can pay by installments over 3 months which certainly makes it more attainable.
*** OFFER***
Ade at Maximum Inheritance Services is also offering a £50 M&S voucher for anyone who is interested in the service and becomes a client before the end of JULY!
DISCLAIMER: I was asked to review the total service from Maximum Inheritance Specialists with Ade free of charge however, all thoughts and views are my own. No other payment was received.
I stumbled upon this little hidden treasure in Greenwich a week or two ago. I hadn’t been down to the market ( which I love to mooch around) for quite some time, but I was chaperoning my son on a photo shoot there and he happened to be in the next shop!
Mighty Fine Choc and Fudge!
Granted it doesn’t look too eye grabbing, however, this is a new venture after starting on a stall in Spittlefield Market. This is their 1st premises and they do make everything FRESH in their kitchen here!
This is what caught our eye initially……….
YES THAT IS A BATHTUB FULL OF MINI EGGS!!!!!
Enough to entice anyone in I should think. They have a great competition running at the moment (probably a week or two left) where you have to guess how many eggs in the tub……………BRILLIANT!
Try a guess on their Twitter feed @chocandfudge
I’m going to guess but send my OH if I win as he weighs much more than me LOL
I cheekily asked to try some of their signature makes, salted caramel fudge, milk and dark chocolate, chocolate fudge to name a few……………………………..
but check out the pics below to see some of the more unusual makes
just some of the fudge on display and freshly madeCheck out some of the more unusual makesSome freshly made just out of their kitchen!!!
I feel it is important to help promote local businesses in these far from easy economic times, especially one as ‘feel good’ as this little treasure.
The staff were VERY friendly and in fact encouraged you to come in and have a taste test before you buy- that’s how strongly they believe in their products.
Their name basically says what it is on the tin…………...Mighty Fine Choc and Fudge………in my humble opinion it totally lives up to the name. My OH totally endorses their dark chocolate saying it was much nicer than the regular Bournville! I am a total milk chocolate snob with only Galaxy and Diary milk meeting my high criteria, however, I tried their milk chocolate and biscuit slab which just melted in my mouth leaving no bitter cocoa aftertaste and absolutely went down a storm with a good ol’ cuppa.
My favourite had to be the Salted Caramel fudge, as fudge should be, sweet and sickly but oh soooooo moreish! So if you are watching your weight this probably isn’t the shop for you , but for a total treat or a great pressie for someone with a sweet tooth then this is the place to go.
I will go back, in fact I have to go back as they had told me about one of their signature makes that they unfortunately didn’t have at the time…………..CHOCOLATE BACON!!!
Yes you heard it here first, chocolate bacon??? I can see how this would work but I will DEFINITELY need to try.
Be warned @chocandfudge I will be back!
DISCLAIMER: I was not approached by this company for a review I simply saw it and tried and wanted to promote. I have not received any payment for this review and the opinions are totally my own view!
