4th North Cotswold Beer Festival!

The is coming Friday and Saturday (23rd & 24th September 2011) promises to be a banner weekend.... provided you make it down to the North Cotswold Beer Festival, compliments of the good people at  North Cotswolds CAMRA.


The Festival takes place at the Moreton-in-Marsh Cricket Club.


At your service are over 50 Real Ales and Ciders.  Food, including breakfast, will be served, there will be live entertainment Friday night and Saturday, and camping is available.  The current list of ales and ciders planned for the festival is here.


Friday's performance will be by renowned folk rock artists The Roving Crows, and some of the band members will also play during the day on Saturday.  Saturday night will feature local Gloucestershire rock/pop cover band Zool.


The Festival runs 6pm - 11pm on Friday and Noon -  11pm on Saturday, and admission is £3 + £2 for your souvenir pint glass.  CAMRA members enter for free.


To gain free entry as a CAMRA member you must be in possession of a valid membership card.

On payment of the entry cost, a souvenir glass will be required for an additional £2. If you return your glass a refund of £1 will be given (The other £1 goes towards washing the glass etc before it can be re-used), You will also need to purchase Beer Tokens. (No cash sales at the bar). Any unused tokens can be exchanged back for cash, or donated to charity.

Car parking £1 per car (Free for staff pass holders).

Camping cost will be £4 per night, and £6 per caravan or Mobile Home (Free for helpers).

Showers will be available in the pavilion from 10 am to 11:30 am for men, 11:30 am till 2 pm for ladies.

There will be a Saturday late bus departing the Festival going to Cheltenham. Departing 8 pm & 10 pm.  To book your seat, contact Martyn Herbert.

Hope you can make it & Happy Drinking!

The 2011 Cotswold Festival

The Festival

This is the third Cotswold Festival since 2007, and this year it is bigger and better than ever before. 

The Theme for the 2011 Festival is "See Life in 17th Century Stow" which promises to provide lots of family fun & entertainment for all, as we celebrate Cotswold life, crafts and history. We hope as many people as possible will wear period costume, which is available to buy or hire. 

We hope to attract many local visitors and tourists to an exciting event providing family fun & entertainment for all. As well as the many special activities taking place during the Festival, we hope you will enjoy visiting our wonderful local shops. We expect that they will have many new visitors during the Festival, who will become regular customers having seen what excellent products and friendly service are on offer.

Proceeds from the Festival will support the following local charities:

• Stow Youth Club
• The Stow Branch of the Royal British Legion Welfare Fund
• North Cotswolds Voluntary Help Centre

The Festival will take place over three days:

• Antiques Day - Friday 16th
• SAT 17 Sept 9.30 - 17.00
• SUN 18 Sept 10.00 - 16.00

Please click on the links above to see details of the programme for each day.

Cotswold Festival Programmes will be available from the middle of August from Go-Stow, price £1.50. There will be a Lucky Programme number prize of £100 on both Saturday and Sunday, sponsored by Stow on the Wold Tescos.

English Civil War Re-enactment

The last battle of the first English Civil War took place near and in Stow in 1646. We are really excited about the Civil War Re-enactment which will take place on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Cricket Ground.

Tickets for the Sealed Knot display are £5 for Adults (over 16), £2.50 children (5-16) and free for under 5s. A family ticket for £15 will admit two adults and up to 4 children aged 5-16. Tickets in the form of wrist bands can be bought from the Go-Stow Information Stall in Stow Square during the Festival weekend

Activities around Stow's Town Square

On both days, in The Square, there will be a street market, a Living History Exhibition and an an arena with live music from Stiff Upper Lip, Short and Sweet, The Stow Baptist Church Group and the Cotswold School Band, the Silver Bough strolling players & Morris dancing

Treasure Hunt

A Treasure Hunt will take you on a stroll round the byways of Stow, where you can find many interesting shops and eateries. A draw for the winner of the Treasure Hunt will take place on both Saturday and Sunday. The winners will receive a family ticket to Cotswold Farm Park plus £25 spending money.

Crafts and Memorabilia

There will be demonstrations of traditional crafts in St. Edwards Church and in St. Edwards Hall, there will be an exhibition of Civil War memorabilia with expert knowledge provided by the Stow Civic Society.

Barn Dance

On Saturday evening there will be a Barn dance in The Square to the music of the Silver Bough band and caller.


For more details, visit their website at http://www.cotswoldfestival.com/index.php

Easter at Sudeley Castle in The Cotswolds

Easter Egg Trail

On Sunday 24th April Sudeley Castle will be holding an Easter Egg Trail for children with an Easter treat at the end. I've always loved events at this castle. The grounds are beautiful, there is tons to explore, and it is never too busy, which is great if you can't bear huge crowds and also if you have three small kids that will run off in three directions at once and all get lost- they are easier to find if there are fewer people.

At last, their Adventure Playground is open again and completely refurbished. Sudeley has the coolest playground ever- a huge wooden 'castle' frame with towers and hidey-holes, giant slide, zip wire and stunning views of the Cotswold Hills from the surrounding picnic benches.

The Easter Egg Trail will run from 10:30am until 2:30pm (on a first come first served basis).  Visit them at http://www.sudeleycastle.co.uk/

Painswick Rococo Gardens

One of my favourite gardens in the Cotswolds is the Rococo Gardens in Painswick. It is a perfect day out.... beautiful gardens, extraordinarily good cafe, unique follies, great seasonal events and- of course- their famous snowdrops.

They have been very busy making some really nice videos over the past weeks that I thought were worth sharing. I hope they inspire you to stop by the next time you are in the area.










For full details on the gardens, please visit their new website at http://www.rococogarden.org.uk/Home.aspx

If you're looking for a very nice place to stay in Painswick, have a look at Byfield House. Top rated in Painswick by TripAdvisor and a locally run B&B.

My Cotswolds Mushroom Sauce Recipe

Cotswolds Mushroom Sauce

2 big handfuls of crimini mushrooms (or baby bella), coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of unsalted butter

1 large bay leaf

2 diced shallots

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 cups chicken stock

185ml Crème Fraîche

Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

 

Make the stock.  In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is melted over a medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and bay leaf and stir for about five minutes so the mushrooms release their juices.  Add the shallots and garlic and stir constantly so the shallots become soft and translucent but do not brown- about 4-5 minutes.  Add the balsamic vinegar and stir for one minute.  Add the stock and turn the heat to high. Add a small dash of sea salt and the sugar.  Boil, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, and reduce by about one third.    Add the crème fraîche and stir until the sauce becomes smooth.  Reduce the heat to low, stir until you have a slightly thick, but still runny sauce. Serve immediately with steak or chicken.

I hope you enjoy this, and please let me know how you get on!

Cotswold Inns and Hotels

Although there are many excellent hotels, inns and B&Bs in the Cotswolds, I thought this group owned by Pamela and Michael Horton should get some special attention.  Just last week, the owners of this special collection of seven properties won three Gold awards in the Cotswolds Tourism Awards, including 'Tourism Business of the Year.'  Then the Stroud couple's Bay Tree Hotel in Burford won gold in the Small Hotel category in the Beautiful South East Awards for Excellence and The Broadway Hotel won Gold in the Small Hotel of the year in the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism awards.

I really liked Mrs. Horton's quote after winning- "We look at our hotels as a box of jewels. They are all hundreds of years old and we are keeping them in the way we believe people want them, as traditional country house hotels."

These hotels have won enough awards (The Lamb Inn at Burford is winner of the 2009 Condé Nast Johansens Most Excellent Inn Award.) to make them worth top consideration the next time your planning a trip to the area.

So, here they are in all their glory- note that you can click "Visit Now" to see the hotel on Google Street View and explore the area from your armchair.  If would like to make a reservation, the 'book online' buttons go straight to the hotel's own booking page.  



Hare and Hounds Hotel - Tetbury
Visit Now
Tel: 01666 881000, Email: enquiries@hareandhoundshotel.com
The Hare and Hounds Hotel has 42 bedrooms located in the main house and the adjoining buildings that comprise the hotel - the Coach House, the Garden Cottage, The Forge and Silkwood Court. set in acres of well-tended gardens and woodland, adjacent to the renowned Westonbirt Arboretum.  






The Bay Tree Hotel - Burford
Visit Now
Tel: 01993 822 791, Email: info@baytreehotel.info
A magnificent Tudor building packed with original features. A charming place to stay with every modern facility and famed for its traditional country welcome. Burford is the gateway to the Cotswolds, ideally placed for Cheltenham, Oxford and Blenheim Palace.  






The Bear of Rodborough - Stroud
Visit Now (sorry- only aerial views for this one)
Tel: 01453 878 522, Email: info@bearofrodborough.info
Delightful accommodation set in an area of outstanding natural beauty – 300 acres of National Trust land. The bedrooms are exquisite and the renowned restaurant is a centre of excellence for food and wine.  

The Broadway Hotel - Broadway
Visit Now
Tel: 01386 852401, Email: info@broadwayhotel.info
This 16th century hotel provides the perfect blend of historic charm, modern amenities and friendly service. The hotel overlooks the village green and has a feeling of ageless tranquillity. Broadway is a stunningly attractive historic village ideally placed for Cheltenham and Warwick race courses.  






The Lamb Inn - Burford
Visit Now
Tel: 01993 823 155, Email: info@lambinn-burford.co.uk
A traditional English country inn with flagstone floors, cosy armchairs, real ale, log fires and modern English cuisine. The Lamb Inn has seventeen bedrooms, each having individual character and decorated in warm traditional colours with fine, often antique, furniture for a true country feel.  






The Manor House Hotel - Moreton-in-Marsh
Visit Now
Tel: 01608 650501, Email: info@manorhousehotel.info
This former 16th century manor house makes an enchanting Cotswold retreat where you can relax in a friendly atmosphere and indulge yourself with outstanding cuisine from our two-rosette restaurant. Moreton-in-Marsh is an ideal touring centre, within easy reach of Stratford, Cheltenham and Oxford.  






The Swan Hotel - Bibury
Visit Now
Tel: 01285 740 695, Email: info@swanhotel.co.uk
The Swan Hotel is an enchanting 17th century former coaching inn sitting in the heart of the village on the banks of the River Coln. This hidden corner of England is the perfect retreat for unpretentious comfort, a friendly atmosphere, wonderful food and fine wine.  






For full details on all these hotels, and to make reservations, please visit the group's website at http://www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk/content/index.htm.  Happy Travels!

Christmas Dinner at The Green Dragon

Christmas dinner should be one of the nicest meals of the year.  For me, as much as I love cooking it, I have no love for the clean up afterwards nor for the hours of roasting and prep.  On the big day, I like to be firmly planted in my chair with a glass of Scotch in one hand and a mince pie in other.  However, more often than not, I am found sitting on the floor assembling Legos and playing dolls.  Either way, it is nice to have a meal out, provided one is guaranteed of it being something truly special.  So, for this Christmas, my recommendation is The Green Dragon pub in Cockleford near Cowley.


Tucked away in a quiet hamlet surrounded by woods, a pond, and the best countryside, this 17th century pub is well known for it's outstanding local food, great pints, gorgeous location and it's mice (more on these later).  Food is local, usually organic and often is freshly caught that very morning in the case of pheasant and venison.  The chefs are of an extremely high standard- this is not 'pub grub' but the height of English country cuisine.  There are three roaring fireplaces and the beauty of the old, traditional country pub has been carefully maintained throughout.  


For the drinkers, real ale abounds, there is an excellent wine list, as well as a fine selection of malt whisky.


The Christmas Day (2010) Menu, £59.95 per person and £39.95 under 12’s, is as follows:

Eggs Benedict (Toasted English Muffin with Home Cooked Ham, Poached Egg & Hollandaise Sauce)

A Salad of Roasted Carrots, Parsnips, Sweet Potatoes & Cranberries with a Sweet Onion Dressing

Smoked Trout, Smoked halibut & Smoked Salmon Terrine with a Tomato & Lime Salsa

Leek & Potato Soup with Crispy Lardons of Smoked Bacon

Champagne Sorbet

Traditional Roast Breast of Turkey with Chestnut & Cranberry Stuffing, Bacon wrapped Chipolata, Cranberry Sauce & Gravy

Pan Fried Baby Lamb Fillets in Rosemary Butter served with Cauliflower Puree and Pear & Mint Salsa

Whole roasted Partridge filled with Pork Sausage meat & Granny Smith Apples wrapped in Pancetta with a rich Merlot Jus

Monkfish Tails marinated in Moroccan Spices with a Sweet Pimento & Red Pepper Fondue & Tempura King Prawns

Arborio Risotto with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips in a Rosemary & Black Pepper Cream

All served with Roast Potatoes, Buttered Carrots, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts & Honey Glazed Parsnips

Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce

Tian of Rice Pudding cooked with Nutmeg & Thick Double Cream served with a Fruit Compote

Cheese & Biscuits

White and Dark Chocolate Marble Cheesecake with Champagne Cream

Coffee & Petit Fours

Sounds alright to me!  Please do make sure to call in advance and book, as The Green Dragon is very popular and will fill up fast.  Contact details are:

The Green Dragon Inn

Cockleford, Nr Cowley, 

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 9NW, 

Tel: +44 (0)1242 870 271, Fax: +44 (0)1242 870 171

Email: green-dragon@buccaneer.co.uk

Website: http://www.green-dragon-inn.co.uk/

See it & Explore the Area on Google Street Map: http://bit.ly/eLHUha

As for the mice, I was referring to the those carved into various bits of furniture, all of which was made for the pub by famous craftsman Robert Thompson, "The Mouse Man of Kilburn."