When we stayed at Updown Cottage in Shaftesbury, we were with dear friends who were on their first visit to England, so we wanted them to experience as much of the “real” England as possible. After picking them up at Heathrow and allowing for a bit of rest from the overnight flight, we loaded up the rental car and set out for Shaftesbury where we would be staying for a week. By the time we …
When we stayed at the Octon Lodge the first time, we asked the landlord where we could get dinner, having arrived fairly late in the day. He pointed out two pubs, each about the same distance. One of them was the Greyhound Inn, in Staple Fitzpaine. The pub was only 5 minutes from the Lodge, so we headed there. Being adventurous, Jake ordered the Lamb in Lavender sauce that was on the menu. While …
A few years ago the common thought was that British cuisine was bland and drab and, for some simple reasons, that was true, then. The UK suffered greatly during World War II, with rationing starting in September of 1939, and not ending until July 4, 1954. Rationing was briefly reintroduced in 1956-57 during the Suez crisis. Even after rationing ended, some foods remained scarce, particularly cheese, which remained so into the 1980s. As a result …