Tag: family meals

Billy’s on the Road, Billingshurst

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Billy’s on the Road was the last finalist to be judged for the Best Family Dining category in the Celebration of Sussex Life Awards 2017. And what a surprise! Housed in an old Little Chef building on the A29, it’s been transformed into a busy cafe with the feel of an American Diner – bright colours, big portions, great prices, happy customers.

We went for a Saturday brunch and were welcomed by Billy herself as chef for the day and an army of really delightful staff. It’s no wonder they were winners of the Outstanding Customer Service category at last years Sussex Life Awards!

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Cowdray Farm Shop Cafe, Midhurst

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We recently had the great pleasure of eating out at this fabulous cafe, the second of three finalists in the Best Family Dining category for the Celebration of Sussex Life Awards. As the judge, my job has just got a whole lot harder!

Not only was the food fantastic (home-cooked and locally sourced with plenty of options for the whole family) the service was second to none. And food tastes so much better when it’s served by genuinely happy, friendly staff!

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The Loft at Sparks Yard, Arundel

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I’m thrilled to have been asked to judge the Best Family Dining category at this years Celebration of Sussex Life Awards and have the incredibly onerous task of eating out at three of the best family restaurants in Sussex before deciding on a winner! This year it’s going to be particularly tough as the finalists all sound amazing – The Loft at Sparks Yard in Arundel, Billy’s on the Road in Billingshurst and The Cowdray Farm Shop Cafe in Easebourne, near Midhurst.

We’re just back from a fantastic lunch at The Loft in Arundel, where our youngest son, the grandparents and our dog gave us a proper sense of how family friendly this restaurant really is. Thumbs up all round!

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Chickpea & Celeriac Fish Pie

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A very tasty and simple fish pie with a difference! We’ve swapped traditional potato mash for a healthier and infinitely more colourful combination of celeriac, sweet potato and carrots. Adding chickpeas ups the protein and gives you the chance to make a gluten-free béchamel sauce! For a speedy meal, you could prepare the pie in advance and simply bung it in the oven when you get home. Perfect…

Fish is such a simple way to load up on essential nutrients and omega oils, but make sure it’s responsibly sourced. We use our local fishmonger and completely trust that everything they sell is top-notch in taste, freshness and ethics, which means we enjoy our fish pie even more. Yum!

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‘C’ is for Cabbage

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Such an underrated veg, the plain old cabbage is anything but plain, especially in colour! I love growing this ‘Red Drumhead’ variety because it looks fantastic and makes the prettiest coleslaw (as well as an awesome natural electric-blue dye!).

Easy to grow and simple to cook, cabbages come in loads of different shapes, sizes and colours and can be grown all year round, so you need never go without a tasty homegrown cabbage in your kitchen! Definitely worthy of their place in the ‘Allotment A-Z’.

‘C’ is for cabbage! Yay…

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Marinated Halloumi & Beetroot Salad

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This is one of our favourite meals for eating al fresco down at the allotment garden. We marinate our halloumi, get the little allotment stove going, pull up a couple of fresh beets and away we go. Really simple, really good for you and really tasty. Yay!

Fantastic served on the side or as a main, the herbs and spices bring out the amazing earthy flavours, the nuts and seeds add protein and extra crunch, whilst the cheeses are deliciously creamy… and it’s a spectacular colour too!

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Apple and Almond Pudding

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Oh my golly gosh! Delicious. A really simple, seasonal dessert using local apples, that won’t give you or your children a frenzied sugar rush before bed! Woohoo. Dairy free, gluten free and free of refined sugars, this is a traditional pud with a healthy twist!

Very tasty with apples, but works equally well with other fruits – try an autumnal version with pears and plums or a tropical one with mango and peach. Sometimes, you’ve just got to eat cake…

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Quinoa Kedgeree

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We were back late this evening after a hectic day and threw together this amazingly quick and delicious meal! Nipped down to the allotment to gather some fresh homegrown veg (peas, spinach and onions), collected the eggs and then felt inspired by the pretty jar of tri-coloured quinoa on the kitchen shelf! Quinoa is quicker to cook than brown basmati rice and a serious powerhouse in the protein department. Perfect….

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Super-charged protein pancakes

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I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for ages, as it’s one of our favourite family breakfasts and such a brilliant way to start the day. They’re our ‘secret weapon’ protein-packed pancakes – perfect for that extra boost when there’s digging to be done on the allotment or before we head out orienteering(!) In fact we don’t need an excuse – they’re awesome any time.

Deliciously thick and super tasty, these pancakes have some pretty unusual ingredients and they’re gluten free, with no added refined sugar to boot! Breakfast will never be the same again….

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Root Soup

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Our first ‘al fresco’ allotment meal of the year! Such a treat to be eating a big bowl of hot soup in the fresh air – I’m sure it tastes better! This colourful pot of deliciousness is packed full of root veg and decorated with freshly picked pea shoots.

We used some of our winter-stored homegrown veg, but I love the thought that someone, somewhere could cook this soup with freshly pulled and dug homegrown roots…the fresher the better! Beetroot is really good for high blood pressure and liver health, whilst fennel and leeks are great for digestive health, even the humble pea shoot has masses of Vitamin C! Really yum and really good for you…..

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