< Previous50 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYSOCIAL SCENEExcellent night forEXONIAN LODGEPHOTOS BY RICHARD PICKSLEYThe Exonian Lodge are based in London but each year they visit a different part of the UK for their Ladies Festival, and this yearthey were able to enjoy the history and hospitality of Lincoln as they visited for the weekend.After meeting up on the Friday evening, the main attraction was the social event on Saturday at the Bentley Hotel, where guestsenjoyed a three course meal, live music from The Steve Love Band and a raffle, among other attractions. The Lodge’s events allhelp raise money for national charities and they were delighted to raise £750 on the night for Asthma UK.David Seal andDebbie WebberRobert andTina BrownLes and Janet Collen050-051:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:15 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY51SOCIAL SCENEThis is just a selection of photographs from this event…Visit www.lincolnshiretoday.netto view and purchasecopies of the photographsLincolnshireTodayTHE REGION’S FAVOURITE COUNTY MAGAZINEMatthew, Lisa andKira NichollsThe Steve Love BandThe Nunn familyThe Exonian Lodge membersPerry and Lorna DilleyJim and Susan GreyChris and Tracey BottleyChris and Claire Pettman050-051:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:15 Page 2As the days get longer, the sun seems to be stickingaround a bit too! Although we’ve had some of thecoldest temperatures on record recently, thishasn’t stopped photographers from aroundthe county getting out there and snappingsome incredible scenes. We’re looking forwardto leaves on the trees, the light not fading untillater and the opportunity to walk without beingwrapped up! This summer looks to be a bright one, so itshould provide plenty of inspiration for Moods ofLincolnshire. We’re still after your images too, so get intouch! 52 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYWe welcome your wonderfulphotographs of all the sights of the county.Have you snapped a scene you want toshow off in these pages?Send a hi-res jpg to lincs-today@blmgroup.co.uk,telling us where you took it, and you could win a blow up canvas print courtesy of Compley’s Cameras, CleethorpesLincolnshireLincolnshirePHOTO: DALE WOOLGARPHOTO: PETER WOODThe sun sits in the sky, casting a greatlight over Theddlethorpe beachThis old beacon sits on Fotherby Top andwould have been a means ofcommunication in times gone by052-053:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:14 Page 1PHOTO: MIKE SHIELDSSilhouette of the Vulcan plane with thesun setting in the backgroundPHOTO: MATTHEW LANE / WWW.MATTHEWLANE.CO.UKEarly morning sun beginning to burn away theheavy mist in Queen's Park in Lincoln 052-053:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:14 Page 2Almost all of us have fond foodiememories from when we’re growing up –the comfort food that we may still turn toat times, whether it’s a plate of beans ontoast or a bowl of jelly and ice cream.Many of the traditional dishes we grewup with remain fantastically popular, andcertainly many of our local restaurants,hotels and pubs offer many of these ever-popular items on the menu.Of course, many of the best chefs taketheir cue from these traditional dishes butadd their own twist to them. Certainly ata time when many of us are lookingtowards the healthier approach,changing the recipe to keep in all thetaste but lose some of the fat is anobvious approach. Introducing organicand locally sourced produce alsoensures you’re enjoying great food butwith a clear conscience.In Lincolnshire, our culinary traditiongoes back generations. The campaignfor protected geographical status forLincolnshire sausages is continuing,and even though the initialapplication was turned down,campaigners are now intending toensure products sold as “TraditionalLincolnshire Sausages” are onlyproduced here in the county.A further campaign is also aiming tochange the definition of a pie. At themoment a 100% “official” pie is one thathas a pastry lid, but that obviouslyexcludes such things as the Shepherd’sPie. Lincolnshire’s rural businessorganisation the CLA is supporting thecampaign as a way to emphasise thevalue of local pubs and retailers.Lincolnshire’s CLA chief, Nicola Curriepoints out, “Every pound spent in smallerindependent local food outlets supportsthree times the number of jobs than if itwere spent in national grocery chains, sonot only will it boost the local economybut it could make shopping moreenjoyable. Buying locally can help ensurethat local businesses survive and maintainvital jobs and services – even through thequieter times of the year.”It’s not just the traditional Britishrecipes that remain hugely popular –dishes that arrived in Britain fromoverseas now date back severalgenerations in the UK and have oftenbeen somewhat anglicised along the way.The result is a thriving culinary cultureacross Lincolnshire. 54 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DINING - LOCAL PRODUCEDine in style atThe Old Palacethis EasterEnjoying the Easter break can bemade that bit more sumptuous withdinner or lunch at The Old Palacehotel. The elegant venue is opening itsstunning King Room as a restaurantfrom Thursday 28th March to Monday1st April. Dinner will be served each eveningbetween Thursday and Easter Sunday,while lunch will be available on Sunday and Monday. Dishes include grilled goat’s cheese withspiced plums, pan-roasted guinea fowl and chocolate parfait crunch with sweetened blackcherries.To view the full menu, visit theoldpalace.org or to reserve a table call 01522 580000.A taste of homeThe best local produce, cooked by chefs with huge experience, makes for the perfect evening out054-055:Layout 1 18/3/13 11:28 Page 1Exotic Thai Restaurant205 High Street, ScunthorpeTel: 01724 843204Exotic Thai Restaurant is a testament to traditional Thaicuisine. The only Thai restaurant in Scunthorpe, Exotic Thaican accommodate up to seventy guests for a delicious choiceof authentic starters, main courses and an impressiveselection of fish dishes along with a choice of tasty desserts.The Exotic Thai prides itself on authentic Thai cuisine with friendly service, giving a truetaste of the east.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY55PICTUREyour venueRock Paper Scissors18 Guildhall Street, LincolnTel: 01522 244363www.rockandpaperandscissors.comVisitors to Rock Paper Scissors can take a break from shopping andindulge themselves in a delicious loose leaf tea, a cafetiere of theirfavourite coffee variety or a slice of homemade cake. Serving solely onvintage crockery, the café offers traditional produce with a twist of somecontemporary flavours and tastes. Keep an eye on the ever-changingmenu for some delicious treats.The Old Dairy Barn33 The Green, Ingham, Lincoln Tel: 01522 730636 /07747 893465 www.dairybarningham.co.ukSelect Lincolnshire’s self-catering establishment of 2013, thisstunning Grade 2 listed barn conversion offers award-winning and 4star gold accommodation. Situated seven miles north of Lincoln, theidyllic village of Ingham is an excellent location to explore the area. Finished to a high standard, The Dairy Barn offers a relaxing and homely feel incorporatingold and contemporary features. It offers excellent holiday/business accommodation or aperfect romantic retreat.Merrimans Restaurant and BarGreat Fen Road, Wyberton Fen, BostonTel: 01205 362378Merrimans is based in a unique timber framed buildinglocated on the outskirts of Boston, where all food is freshlyprepared in the restaurant kitchen, using only locallysourced ingredients. As well as the À la Carte and char-grillmenu, there are also early bird, lunch and children’s menus.Merrimans can provide the very best in business buffet lunches as well as catering forcharity functions and special occasions.Vine HotelVine Road, Seacroft, Skegness Tel: 01754 610611Email: reception@thevinehotel.comFive minutes from the town centre, this characterful hoteldates back to 1770. Under new ownership, the hotel isundergoing major refurbishment. The completely refurbishedSomersby Suite provides an ideal venue for functions,overlooking beautiful landscaped gardens where Tennyson wrote a number of his poems.Many of the bedrooms have been refurbished and they provide luxurious accommodationin spacious bedrooms, furnished and decorated to a high standard.To promote your services call Angie Cooper on 01472 310302or email: a.cooper@blmgroup.co.ukOur White Hart Gift Vouchersare a perfect way to tell someone you care, say thank you, or as a special treat.From romantic meals, 1 or 2 night stays with choice of accommodation types, cocktail classes or afternoon tea the choices are tailored to suit your needs. You can always trust the White Hart to deliver an excellent service and experience, in a great location.For more informationt01522 526222 | Option 4einfo@whitehart-lincoln.co.ukBailgate | Lincoln | LN1 3ARFollow us on Twitter @WhiteHartLN1The China RoyalRestaurant6 Bridge Street, Brigg DN20 8LNTel: 01652 650688 (reservations)/654762 (takeaway)Email: info@chinaroyal.co.uk www.chinaroyal.co.ukThe intimate, warm surroundings of the China Royal are idealfor the most romantic dinner or the largest banquet. Serving the best in Chinese cuisine, it hasfive star scores on the doors, and was named Oriental Restaurant of the Year 2009, 2010 and2011. Open as usual for Easter and Bank Holidays.Selling thebest infreshly-madeandauthenticItalian food. Frompaninis topasta, Italian meats tomozzarella, everything is prepared on premises. 8.30am-4pm & late nights onThursday and Friday. 9, West Parade, LincolnT: 01522 537775The Queens Head Inn Kirkby - La - ThorpeOne of Lincolnshire’s finest traditional dining experiencesThe Queens Head traditional English cuisine revolves around totalfreshness, individually sourced wine list fromFrance and the New World, and an extensivecollection of hand-pulled real ales.Evening Specials: 2 courses,Sunday – Friday evenings for £13.95The Queens Head InnKirkby - La - Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincs NG34 9NWt: 01529 305743www.thequeensheadinn.com054-055:Layout 1 18/3/13 11:28 Page 2Paul Orrey, head chef at Hall Farm’s Roostersrestaurant has been in the hospitality business all hislife, starting as a potwasher at the age of fourteen atRegine’s in Grimsby. Spending three years there, hisboss at the time recognised his skills and secretly putin a word with Winteringham Fields and so startedPaul’s training as a chef under Germaine Shwab foraround three years.He says, “Spending time there was like being in a family.We ate together, lived together and it was a great place totrain, but I’ve also been all around the country beforeMatthew asked me back to Lincolnshire and I’ve been herenearly thirteen years now.”Paul’s training was primarily French and French-Swiss innature, so his cooking is best described as English withFrench influence. Paul cites the confit of belly pork he cooksus to illustrate this; “Confit is usually a method for preparingduck, so to use it with something traditionally English likebelly pork is a new twist, we use duck fat to give it that tasteand it’s finished with a red wine glaze which is very French.”Paul’s other speciality includes a beer-battered fish andFOOD & DININGHall Farm Hotel & Restaurant sits just off themain road in the breath-taking and beautifulvillage of Ashby-cum-Fenby and is home to somefantastically innovative cuisine. We caught upwith head chef Paul Orrey who talks us throughsome of his creations. Why not try your hand atthem too? Then pay a visit to see how the realthing compares…A passionfor fine foodA passionfor fine foodHead chef atHall FarmPaul Orrey withchef Lee Belton056-057:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:17 Page 1chips, which he says is so good he can’treveal his secret batter ingredient, “We getall our fish from the same local provider,which means we get fresh and particularlybig fish, so it’s very popular,” says Paul.Asked about his influences, Paul citesHeston Blumenthal as an inspiration due tohis unusual approach to finding ingredientsand methods to create food, but admits hehasn’t got the time to experiment to thefamous chef’s extremes all the time. Paul isno stranger to influencing others, however,and has worked with a young chef LeeBelton for around six months in thekitchen. Together with chef Steve Coultonwho has been at the restaurant for threeyears, they make a dynamic team to bereckoned with. Owner and former headLINCOLNSHIRETODAY57FOOD & DININGchef Matthew says, “It’s great to havepeople so motivated in the kitchenalongside Paul, it’s like a breath of freshair.”“We’ve bounced off each other,” saysPaul, “Lee for example is teaching me asmuch as I’m teaching him. He’s been incompetitions throughout his training atGrimsby Institute which has taught himtechniques I’ve never used before so it’sgreat.”The restaurant has changedimmeasurably in that time, having beenoriginally a bistro it is now a fantasticrestaurant which also caters for functionslike weddings as the holidayaccommodation at the site provides ahome from home.Confit of belly porkThis recipe is for Paul’s delicious confit of belly pork, served on a sweetcorn puree with a blackpudding fritter and a red wine glaze. It serves six, so scale down the portions if it’s just for two!The confit process takes 24 hours, so prepare the day before.Ingredients:1 belly pork joint (1-2lbs)Sea salt3lb duck fat (for poaching)1 large egg3lb sweet corn2-3oz butter1⁄4pint of creamTempura batter80z black pudding1 bottle red wineBrawn (for glaze)Method:Rub 2oz of sea salt into your belly pork and leave for 24 hours in the fridge. Wash this offafter the refrigeration with cold water and warm the duck fat in an oven tray until it reachesaround 100°C when it should be simmering, not boiling. Place the pork into the fat and simmerin this way for two hours.Take the tray off the heat and allow to cool and set aside until you are ready to cook it withthe rest of the dish.For the puree, boil sweetcorn in seasoned water and drain when tender. Blend in a foodprocessor with the butter and the cream and pass through a sieve to remove the rough kernelsstill present, then season to taste.For the fritter, blend sliced black pudding and a beaten egg in a food processor and thenshape in the palms of your hands into ball shapes. Roll in flour and dip in your tempura batter.Deep fry for around three to four minutes, or until golden on the outside.For the glaze, boil a quarter of a bottle of red wine and add a teaspoon of brown sugar. Keepit on a low heat until it thickens to a sweet, thickened glaze.To finish the pork, cut the meat into 6 portions and remove the top layer of duck fat. Grilluntil crispy, then finish in the oven for around 8-10 minutes at 200°C or until cooked to yourtaste. Serve with a sprig of rosemary for presentation!For Paul’s recipes for a crayfish and prawn cocktail and a trio of salmon roulade withbeetroot puree and pickled cucumber, visit www.lincolnshiretoday.netHall Farm Hotel & Restaurant sits just off the main road in Ashby-cum-Fenbyjust outside of Grimsby, DN37 0RT. To make a booking or for more information, call 01472 220666or log on to www.hallfarmhotelandrestaurant.co.uk056-057:Layout 1 18/3/13 09:17 Page 258 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGIngredients:2 x 400g pork fillet (all sinew removed)8 x slices of parma ham or prosciuttoFor the mousse: 120g pork fillet trimmings80g black pudding1 egg50ml double creamPinch of saltFor the puree:200g peeled and chopped cox’s apple(cooked and pureed)100g black puddingFor the Savoy cabbage:1 Savoy cabbage (finely sliced)200ml double creamleaves from 3 sprigs of thymePinch of salt and pepperTHE CHEQUERSGedney Dyke, SpaldingThe Chequers, located in the beautiful village of Gedney Dyke near Spalding, has only been open since Maybut is fast becoming known in the county for its fantastic food offering. We meet with head chef MikeBinnington to find out what makes The Chequers so special and to learn a mouth-watering recipe too!Having trained in some of the most impressive restaurantsin the country, Mike has settled in Gedney Dyke and hasassembled a team who are serving up some incredibledishes. Recently in these pages we detailed our meal outthere which included a raviolo of lobster and a pan-fried seabass served with parmesan gnocci. It’s this innovation whichis making people visit and Mike’s aims are to simply spreadhis passion for food to others. Mike says, “It’s almost like a blank canvas to work with,what I like to do is take simple flavours and by using localproduce, make the best we can with it. This isn’t highly-scientific Heston Blumenthal stuff, rather known recipeswith clever techniques used to makethem stand out like the dish I’veprepared for readers. I just want tosee a restaurant full of happycustomers enjoying great food.”Here is Mike’s recipe for slow-cooked pork fillet with Savoycabbage, apple and black pudding.Mike says, “This is a delicious way toenjoy pork fillet, which can sometimesbe a little dry if not handled correctly.”Method:Cut the pork fillets in half to leave four equal pieces. Next, make the mousse, blend the pork trimmingsand black pudding with the egg and salt until smooth then force through a super-fine sieve. Beat in thecream and chill.To assemble the pork fillets, lay two slices of ham on a sheet of cling film and spread a thin layer of themousse on it. Place the pork fillet in the centre and roll into a tight sausage shape using the cling film. Poach the ‘sausages’ gently at 62°C until the core temperature reaches 60°C, check using a probethermometer. While the ‘sausages’ are poaching, prepare the cabbage and puree. For the puree, blend the hot apple puree with the cold black pudding until smooth and then keep thiswarm. For the cabbage, cook in boiling, salted water andsqueeze out any excess water with a muslin cloth.Mix with the thyme leaves and cream and keepwarm.Remove the cling film from the ‘sausages’and pan fry on all sides until golden brown.Place some puree, cabbage and slice thepork onto a hot serving plate and enjoy.The Chequers is on Main Street,Gedney Dyke, Spalding, PE12 0AJ.To find out more or to make a booking,call 01406 366700 or log on towww.the-chequers.co.uk058:Layout 1 18/3/13 10:27 Page 1FOOD & DINING - HOTEL REVIEWA haven of calmThe Supreme Inn at Bicker Bar is one of our favourite places to eat,but we’ve never stayed for the night before. We pay the hotel avisit to see what makes it one of the most visited hotels in the southof the county.We’ve expounded the virtues of eating at the Supreme Inn - and its sister restaurants The RedLion at Bicker village and the Poachers Country Hotel close to Boston - before, but a stay at thehotel was something we always wanted to try. With a reputation for serving local agriculturalbusinesses, the Supreme Inn is conveniently located within commuting distance to Sleaford,Boston, Peterborough and the surrounding area. Popular with a regular business clientele inthe week thanks to its great location and luxurious rooms, it almost becomes a differentvenue at the weekend, serving local residents and those stopping over to visit the localarea.We arrived late afternoon and were shown to our suite, which was at ground level andenjoyed an airy, bright position, meaning the room was shown in all its glory. Tastefulbedsheets, simple but classy furniture and a welcoming array of drinks to prepare isalways welcome and we felt relaxed immediately. With a sizeable bathroom and anotably large bed, we settled down for a few hours of relaxation before arriving at ourleisure at the hotel’s fantastic Haven Restaurant. As ever the food and service wassuperb, starters of generous portion sizes of sea bass and risotto and a duck andgrated carrot really hit the spot as did the succulent main courses. A breast ofBarbary duck with ratatouille and honey-glazed parsnips made a real impression,as did the supreme chicken with a layered dauphinoise potato. Desserts werealso luxuriously decadent, a white chocolate tart and a frankly incredibleraspberry roulade made it another meal to remember.Having a good night’s sleep - who could fail to after such amazing food?- we rose to a full English breakfast that was almost as impressive as thethree-course dinner the night before. Local sausages, bacon and blackpudding were tasty and chimed well with fresh tomato, hash brownsand what most would term ‘the works’. We’d definitely consider a stayagain, as the bed was incredibly hard to wrench ourselves from, itbeing so comfy.The Supreme Inn also has two conference rooms suitable forseminars. Given over to private dining on occasion, they are ofa perfect size for companies wanting a convenient locationand some impressive surroundings.The Supreme Inn is located at BickerBar, Bicker, Boston, PE20 3AN.To book a table, call01205 822804 or log on towww.supremeinns.co.uk059:Layout 1 18/3/13 08:40 Page 1Next >