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Showing posts from January, 2020

Sunday Roast, The Old Forge, Otterbourne

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January blues hit hard this year and I think the best way to make it through a long and cold month is with lots of comfort food. The most comforting dish of all (in my opinion) is a roast dinner. The Old Forge has always been a pub that I've enjoyed visiting so after recently having a face lift, I was really excited to see how it had changed. So with that in mind, I thought where best to feed by longing for a roast dinner on a dull January day. Towards the end of 2019, The Old Forge closed for an 8 day refurbishment. Before this, the pub was a pretty traditional English pub. But now, it has a completely new, very chic vibe with wooden panelling adding a touch of elegance while the exposed brick wall still shows the pubs character. I honestly can't believe how much it's changed inside. Photos below are from the pubs website as it was very busy when we went in and I just couldn't capture how beautiful the decor is.   (Source :  https://www.theoldforgeotterb

Hoxton Bakehouse, Lymington

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Somewhere in the haze between Christmas and New Year we headed into Lymington to escape the house and blow away the cobwebs. After a refreshing walk by the sea we wandered down the high street in need of coffee and food. If you haven’t been to Lymington and you are going to the New Forest, I would really recommend it for a little day trip. There are some lovely walks (suitable for all ages) and lots of little pubs and local shops to bumble around. As we made our way down the high street I spotted the Hoxton Bakehouse. I’ve been meaning to pop in and see what all the fuss was about so I was pretty excited to be have the chance to do so over the Christmas break. At the moment, they have three locations, Lymington, Winchester and Southampton (which I believe was their first store). The display was filled with cakes and sweet treats but I was in need of something a little more filling after our walk and so we decided to have some savoury bits. We ordered a round of hot dri

Coffee and cake, The Garden Society, Eastleigh

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The beautiful @gemmaclairechisholm recommended The Garden Society when I saw her before Christmas and I am so glad that she did. I hadn't been before and I always love a local recommendation. The Garden Society is located on Allington Lane, Eastleigh and is technically a garden centre, however it's not like any other garden centre I've been to. As well as offering your typical garden centre bits and bobs, such as pots and plants, they also have a home & living section, Katie Louxton boutique and much more. We headed over to The Garden Society the week before Christmas so it was looking extremely festive. They had the most beautiful decorations to suit a whole range of styles. I really loved their home section, especially the diamond shaped mirror in the pictures below. From here, we went through to The Orangery Tea House for coffee and cake. They also offer breakfast, brunch and lunch. The decor is colonial inspired and really is stunning. They also have