At lunch yesterday, I experienced what the Captain would call a part of British ‘culture’. And yes, while eating lunch, I recalled the Captain, and had a quiet laugh with myself.
Across the road from the training centre I was at, there is a pub called The Swan. The pub had a lot of menus posted up outside and inside and what I figured to be reasonable prices, for example “Feed yourself and a friend for a Fiver!” In case you miss it, that’s 2 meals for £5.
Since it was snowing heavily at lunch time yesterday, the temptation to have a hot meal meal rather than cold sandwiches was too great, so I headed for the pub. The ambience upon entering was a delightful impact, and I would definitely rate it among the top 5 I visited here (I have not been to all that many).
Anyway, while inside I was looking at a wide number of menus. I apologise for not posting photos, even though I had my camera in my pocket. It completely slipped my mind to take pictures. One menu showed a meal called a ‘sizzler’ so I assumed, completely erroneously as it turned out, that it was a hot (spicy) meal.
Of course I ordered one of the 2 sizzler items on the menu, along with some onion rings.
When the meal came, within 10 minutes, it was served on a blackened iron plate and you could still hear the food (an 8 oz steak) ‘sizzling’ as the plate itself was very, very hot. The plate rested on a thick wooden block (so as to not burn the table). The steak was accompanied by chips (a huge mound I could not even get halfway through), a fresh salad and fried onions. An immense tray of condiments was laid out before me. A bowl full of sachets of different sauces, vinegar, bottles of ketchup, brown sauce, mayonnaise, black pepper, salt were also brought to the table.
To say that I was happily tucked in in seconds would be an understatement. That the food was well prepared need not be said… I even took the time to compliment the cook as I left. I cannot recall ever having such an enjoyable meal out for quite some time. I think maybe the cold snowy conditions outside lent the hot meal a certain added attraction.
The cost of that hot meal? A mere £4.99 and along with a drink, I paid a grand total of about £7.09.
