< PreviousCombined with anecdotes and reminiscences, this concertincludes all their famous hits, plus many album tracks and otherfavourites. Show starts 7.30pm, tickets £20 from 0845 6740505.SpaldingWednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th JulyBad Girls – The Musical, South Holland CentreBased on the hit nineties TV show, this show follows the antics ofthe prisoners on G-Wing, HMP Larkhall. Meet Helen Stewart,optimistic new wing governor, Shell Dockley, top dog on thewing, The Two Julies and many more in a glamorous yet grittymusical treat from Act II youth theatre. Show starts 7.30pm, tickets£9 from 01775 764777.StamfordSaturday 27th JulyPlatinum Hit Makers Tour, Corn ExchangeA total high energy performance by some of the most iconicnames of the seventies, a show packed with their own hits, sung bythe original singers who were on the actual recordings. The GlitterBand present some of the greatest songs of the glam rock era,Paperlace feature original vocalists Phil Wright and Cliff Fish andWhite Plains feature “the voice of the seventies” in prolific hit makerTony Burrows. Show starts 7.30pm, tickets £19 from 01780 766455.WHAT’S ON70 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYPlatinum Hit Makers Tour, Corn Exchange, StamfordSkegnessThursday 25th JulyThe Searchers, Embassy TheatreNow celebrating their fiftieth anniversary, The Searchers’remarkable career continues. They tour the globe as much today asthey have done throughout a fantastic career spanning five decades.Their special ‘solo’ concert is a highly entertaining show and hasbeen enthusiastically and warmly received throughout the world.068-071:Layout 1 17/6/13 11:51 Page 3Heckington ShowThe largest village show in Englandwww.heckingtonshow.org.ukSaturday 27th & Sunday 28th JulyHeckington lies 5 miles to the east of Sleaford on the A17. The Showground is clearly signposted. Sat Nav NG34 9SDNothing quite matches Heckington Show for the relaxed way that it combines the intimacy of a village show with the expectation of the national stage. Heckington Show is a true family day out, a quintessentially English Summer occasion for families and friends to enjoy and take part in an event that brings competition and co-operation, pride and pleasure, sunshine and smiles to a Summer’s day.(Saturday at 7.00pm – Grand Firework Display & Open Air Concert)Single Day Tickets, Saturday or Sunday, pay at the gate. Adult £8.00 Child (6-16) £3.00 Child (5 & under) FreePurchase two day passes onlineFascinating places to visit in the District... whatever the weather!D Aviation HeritageD Historic SitesD Countryside WalksD Arts and CraftsExplore, discover, experience...who knows what you’ll discover!In the heart of rural Lincolnshire, North Kesteven an area of endless countryside and charming villages...For information on other attractions, leisure facilities, walking activities, or a copy of our visitor guide, call: 01529 308207 or email: discovernk@n-kesteven.gov.ukZZZKHDUWRÀLQFVFRPNorth Kesteven District CouncilLafoundouk invite you for ataste of the Middle EastSaturday 14th September £28.50 ticket 7.30pm Bring your own drinks Belly dancing Buffet style meal Contact us: La Foundouk, 15 Brickyard, Great Limber DN37 8JUTel: 07749497888email: sharon@lafoundouk.comwww.lafoundouk.comLINCOLNSHIRETODAY71068-071:Layout 1 17/6/13 11:51 Page 4LOCAL PRODUCEPhillip Ashton was our guide and hischicken unit down at Gasks Farm issomething to behold. The Happy EggsCompany is something you might haveseen on supermarket shelves, but thechickens really are lovingly cared for here.A large, converted barn buildinghouses a huge amount of hens, and afew roosters and the sights and soundswhen you enter the building areincredible. Far from packed into tight,cruel cages, the hens here are free toroam in and out of the barn as theyplease. Inside are huge ’shelves’ wherethe chickens sit, eat, drink and lay andthanks to an automated belt below eachlevel, their mess is taken away. So farfrom walking around in their own waste,it’s as clean as it can possibly be. Themuck is then spread on Phillip’s otherfarm land where he grows oilseed rapeand wheat.The chickens arrive at 16 weeks oldand are taken away for slaughter at 72weeks. Phillip describesthis upheavalLiving theGOOD LIFEHappy Eggs have several egg producers dotted around thecountry, but did you know there was one farm with over 16,000chickens in Wrangle near Boston? We paid the chickens a visit tosee how the egg gets from the chicken to your plate.072-073:Layout 1 17/6/13 10:40 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY73when they leave as ‘heartbreaking’ but while theyare at the facility laying away, they are cared for inevery possible way. With acres of land outside toroam around in, they have ample time to peckaround for insects, climb around on an old trailerand even to pick the hedgerows within their expanseof space to pieces. While we were there, severalchickens could be seen jumping up and picking atbranches before dropping back to the floor,underlining Phillip’s insistence that the hens rarelyget bored. Hygiene is an important issue too. Samples of thelitter on the floors of the barn are taken regularly andthese need to be passed to meet standards for theeggs to be ‘Happy’.The hens’ days are structured, too. Lights come onin the morning gradually like a sunrise and thehatches open to the outside so the hens get aroundeight hours of peace at night, where they all maketheir way up the tiered ‘shelves’ to roost. Fed fivetimes a day, there is also drinking water on handfrom rubber ‘nipples’ dotted along the tiers andoutside too. Their feed consists of wheat and 30%soya, minerals and vitamins with oils. Oyster shellsare also crushed in order to make sure calcium is inthe feed too, essential for producing strong, well-shelled eggs.Phillip also gives them grit each week, which helpsgrind the food they eat up in their stomachs, “I takea lot of pride in giving them the best diet, it’s a costsbut I think it’s worth it,” he says.The hens generally lay in the morning and similarautomated belts take the eggs from the roostingastroturf-lined boxes they tend to lay in away to agrading and stamping area before they are sorted fordelivery to their respective retailers. Some eggs arebetter than others, and those that are too small, toolarge, irregular shaped or perhaps not the rightcolour for consumers are generally assigned ‘farmseconds’ status, able to be sold in the same categoryas caged hens.It’s great to see the production process up closeand the fact its happening in our county only makesit more interesting. The next time you tuck into yourbreakfast, have a think about where it has come fromand how it was produced, we certainly will be.072-073:Layout 1 17/6/13 10:40 Page 2Teamwork seems to be the overarching feel ofthe kitchen at the Electric. With a close-knit,family-like atmosphere, the excitement about thefood the restaurant prepares is palpable. Thiscomes not only from head chef Phil Henson andsenior soux chef Simon Coulter but from those atwork in the kitchen when we head in to witness asalmon nicoise being prepared. Friendly banter fliesabout and as Phil explains, “We all work as a unitand all play a part in the process. From the personbaking fresh bread every day to the person cuttinglengths of celery to the correct length, it’s allimportant.”“Nobody in here is the type to go swanning aroundand showing off. We all believe in non-pretentious foodand we’re open to everyone.”This absolutely comes across. The food on offer is a blendof simple, approachable dishes with an emphasis on localingredients and the idea behind this seems to be toencourage diners to come and try something which theymight not be able to get easily elsewhere, but at acompetitive price for the city. There’s a level of sophisticationhere that belies the fact that this is affordable fine dining,there’s no sacrifice to standards, in fact the food is of such ahigh level it stands out as incredibly good value. This isechoed by the current special, which runs until the end of Julywith two main courses at lunch for just £8.95.FOOD & DININGThe Electric Restaurant, with itscommanding views across Lincoln sits at thetop of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. Itsfood is among some of the most engagingand delicious in the city. We pay the kitchena visit to see what how their team works andto learn a thing or two.ThewinningteamThewinningteam074-075:Layout 1 17/6/13 11:04 Page 1The level of passion on display for thefood the team serve is constantlyapparent. From the way Phil and Simontalk about the dishes they prepare, to theingredients used, it’s an ideal place toexperience new tastes or for foodies toexplore old favourites. Interesting spinson traditional dishes like fish and chips orsteak keep customers coming back. Philexplains, “We change our menu every threemonths but we’ll develop every dish as wehave it on the menu. We’ll push for the bestpeas, push for better ways to create batter,we buzz every single day about everyelement of the dishes and this means thatdiners are getting our best.”The kitchen is manned by a predominantlyyoung team, ranging from those just startingout at 18 to those in their late twenties andthis is cemented by its links to LincolnCollege too. It’s all to harbour new talentand to encourage new ideas. As Phil says, “Ifyou aren’t learning and improving each day,LINCOLNSHIRETODAY75FOOD & DININGthen the question must be, why are youdoing it?”Simon cites an instance of menudevelopment that illustrates this. “We cameup with an amuse-bouche that was a takeon a Ploughman’s lunch, which workedreally well. But between us we had abrainstorm and it eventually ended up as astarter. It shows we all understand flavoursand what works together.”This translates into the recent foray therestaurant is embarking on in the shape ofafternoon tea. With care taken to createsandwiches with a quintessentially British feel,every cake on offer is baked to perfection too.As a result the Battenberg, lemon sponge,brownies and scones in particular have ahomemade feel that is sure to be a hit withthe range of teas on offer too. When we return to the Electric it will bewith a sense of familiarity and respect for akitchen which feeds on enthusiasm for foodevery day, surely the way it should be.Salmon NicoiseIngredients180g salmon fillet – skin on and scaledNew potatoesFine beansSpinachBlack olivesAnchovies – in oil, not the dried onesCherry tomatoesHen’s eggMethodHeat a pan up to full heat, add a small amount of oil and turn the heat all the way down.Gently press your salmon into the pan, hold it down for approximately ten seconds. Leave ona low heat until you can see on the side of the fish it’s turned a different colour, and it’s cookedhalf way through. Finish it in the oven for four minutes on 170°C.Bring the new potatoes to the boil and cook for twenty minutes or until cooked, then drainand quarter them.Wash the spinach, and then lightly wilt it in a pan with some butter, before spreading it outon some kitchen paper or a towel to stop it leaking.Halve the cherry tomatoes and put the egg into rolling boiling water for six minutes, as soon asthe six minutes are up, plunge it into iced water or drain it and put under a cold running tap.Once drained, peel the shell off and put the peeled egg back into a pan of lightlysimmering water just to heat through for a minute.Cut off both ends of the egg so it stands up before assembling all ingredients on a plate.The Electric Restaurant is within the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,Brayford Wharf North, Lincoln, LN1 1YW. For more information, call 01522 565180or log on to www.electricbarandrestaurant.co.uk074-075:Layout 1 17/6/13 11:04 Page 276 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYYes Chef Cafe165 Hainton Avenue, Grimsby Tel: 07821 122850www.facebook.com/yeschefcafeYes Chef Cafe is a local run family business, establishedin 2011. They offer a cosy, friendly service selling trulydelicious home-made foods, with a 5 star rating.Yes Chef Café offer eat in, take away or a deliveryservice, and they pride themselves on sourcing their produce locally. They prepare all thefood fresh daily, and also offer catering for private and corporate events.Oliver’s Eatery and Jonny Donuts65 Promenade, Cleethorpes Tel: 01472 290107www.jonnydonutsandolivers.co.ukOliver’s Eatery and Jonny Donuts serve a fantastic selection of superbhomemade cakes and pies, along with a variation of excellent hot and coldmeals. The afternoon teas are a popular favourite and are an absolutemust try.Oliver’s Eatery and Jonny Donuts pride themselves on offering a superb quality of servicesin a contemporary and fashionable surrounding with a welcoming family atmosphere.Partners Tea Room77a High Street, Barton upon HumberTel: 07759 778053A friendly licensed tea room, serving a selection ofhot food and cold snacks, with a range of homebaked cakes, coffees, teas and cold drinks, served intraditional surroundings by lovely friendly staff.Opening hours are 10am to 4pm, Monday toSaturday.Willy’s Pub and Brewery17 High Cliff Road, CleethorpesTel: 01472 602145Willy’s location on the seafront offers one of the bestviews in Cleethorpes. Fantastic pub food is available with avaried menu of healthy home-made dishes.Good food and the in-house brewery have made Willy’sbar a centre of excellence for the food and drink lover. Willy’s is a real ale pub that also offersfine wines.Exotic 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.The Mint LeafA46 Lincoln Road, NewarkTel: 01636 646994 www.mintleafuk.co.ukThe Mint Leaf, located just off the A46, is a fine example of stylishpan-Asian cuisine. Cuisine from the Indian subcontinent is served withpanache. With the best tastes of India combined with a hint of the Orientand elements of the West, it’s a must-visit dining experience.Comfortable catering for both large and small parties, The Mint Leaf isaccessible from across Lincolnshire.Springfields Events &Conference CentreCamelgate, Spalding PE12 6ET Tel: 01775 713253Email: events@springfields.net www.springfieldsevents.co.ukSpringfields is the ideal venue for every occasion. Theyspecialise in catering for large events – conferences, exhibitionsand corporate dinners and parties with seating for up to five hundred, plus seminars,weddings and private parties. Fully licensed in-house catering facilities, free parking and anexperienced event management team to assist with your arrangements.Sage Rustic Dining21 Osborne Street, Grimsby Tel: 01472 354773www.facebook.com/SagegrimsbyHead chef Ian Hotson and his wife Sabine offer rustic-stylefood in this fabulous new venue. With fresh food created on site,made with locally-sourced products, the menus are constantlychanged, especially the specials, to make best use of seasonalproduce.Every Friday and Saturday, Sage opens as a steak house with six types of steak to choosefrom.PictureYour VenueHenry’s Tea Room at Ruddocks287 High Street, Lincoln Tel: 01522 528285www.ruddocksoflincoln.co.ukHenry’s Tea Room is already establishing a reputation forexcellent food beautifully served in the peaceful atmosphere of aVictorian tearoom.Located above Ruddocks of Lincoln’s recently refurbishedshop, Henry’s serves breakfast, light lunches and afternoon tea.The aim is to offer a wonderful experience as well as excellent food. Henry’s has a dedicatedbaker making cakes and pastries, and all other food is freshly prepared too.The Bluebell InnMain Street, Belchford, HorncastleTel: 01507 533602www.bluebell-inn.comThe Blue Bell Inn is a pub/restaurant situated on the VikingWay between Horncastle and Louth. It has an excellentreputation for fine food, good wine and friendly service. Itoffers an a la carte menu and fresh local ingredients.Now open seven days a week, Monday to Saturday 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to11pm, Sunday noon to 10.30pm.The Waggon and HorsesSouth Reston, Louth Tel: 01507 450364www.waggonandhorsesreston.co.ukFor over 130 years, the Waggon and Horses at SouthReston, between Mablethorpe and Louth on the A157, hasalways been a traditional Lincolnshire country pub.It prides itself on sourcing locally grown produce and hasalso been awarded an excellent rating for food hygiene. Whether for business or pleasure, atrip to the Waggon and Horses is not to be ignored.Jamal’s Indian Restaurant30 Alexandra Road, Cleethorpes Tel: 01472 601359Email: dn35@gmail.com www.jamals-indian.co.ukJamal’s Indian restaurant is a unique family-runestablishment. The food ranges from traditional cuisine toclassic Indian cuisine. The team are committed to providing the freshest and bestquality Indian food in the region. They use only the best quality spices and highest quality ofmeats, seafood and fresh vegetables, often handpicked by Executive Chef Jamal to makesure customers receive only the best.Lilly’s1 Yarborough Road, Keelby Tel: 01469 569862Email: Lillyskeelby@aol.comTraditional tea the way it should be at Lilly’s Tea Room. Lilly’safternoon teas are legendary, with vintage china and tiered cakestands, and all food is freshly made on the premises.Open Tuesday to Friday 9am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm,they also host a Pudding Club on the last Friday of each month, plusoutside catering, cupcake workshops and alfresco dining in thecourtyard.The Duke of WellingtonStation Road, Midville Tel: 01205 270593www.dukeofwellingtonmidville.co.ukAt The Duke of Wellington, the aim is to make youwelcome and deliver the very best in food and drink thatwill keep you coming back time and again. The Duke ofWellington is a much loved part of the local communitythat extends a welcome to locals and visitors alike.On offer is great food, drink and warm hospitality.076:Layout 1 17/6/13 09:47 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY77FOOD & DININGThankfully, Lincolnshire Red is a city-centre eatery of the kind Lincoln hasbeen crying out for recently. Taking aclassy, bistro-like feel, the emphasis hereis on delicious food and a fantastic choiceof drink. With six cask ales on at anygiven time, we were cursing the fact wehad to drive home as tucking into someFlying Scotsman ruby ale or a pint of darkOld Peculiar seemed the perfectaccompaniment to the food on offer. Mydining partner did however tuck into apint of Flying Scotsman Caledonian andreported it to be a fantastic, flavoursomedrop with a long-lasting toffee finish.Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?We were seated just past the large bararea and found ourselves with a view ofthe ‘theatre’ kitchen, where food wasbeing cooked to order in a busy andfevered kitchen. We couldn’t wait to seewhat was on offer so started looking overthe menu as soon as we could.The starters on offer were all incrediblytempting and we considered the bread,oils, olives and pork popcorn optionbefore selecting some Grimsby whitebaitwith a lemon mayonnaise and aLincolnshire Red prawn cocktail. Theprawn cocktail was served in a jam jar,with guacamole and marie rose sauce andsome fresh brown bread and was a fillingand elaborate take on the old classic. Theguacamole gave it an interesting andengaging texture we could have eatenanother serving of. The whitebait was agenerous portion and the crumb used wasa delicious coating to plump, tasty fish.For the main course, Lincolnshire Red isknown for its steaks, so for a treat weselected a 10oz sirloin and an 8oz rumpsteak. The sirloin was a thick, perfectly-cooked slab of beef with both smokyflavours on the outside and a healthy, redcolour inside and sang with flavour. Theaccompanying hand-cut chips wereperfect too, making it a rugged andsatisfying meal. My dining partner’s rarerump steak was juicy and succulent,served with French fries it felt like they’dlistened to our cooking instructionsperfectly and that’s such an importantelement when it comes to steak.Bursting buttons, we neverthelesswanted to try desserts, so we selected awhite chocolate and raspberrycheesecake and a frozen mint parfait. Thecheesecake was creamy and delicious, thesweet chocolate chiming with the fat,juicy fruit to create a highlight of themeal. Similarly the mint parfait was afresh, indulgent end to the meal, its mintice cream centre topped with a gooeydrop of chocolate inside a hardenedchocolate shell. The food will ensure we make a returnvisit, and we’re sure when we’re notdriving, the ale on offer and promises ofa monthly live jazz night will too!LincolnshireRed Ale Houseand KitchenWhere would you head in Lincoln for a good steak? Upuntil our visit to Lincolnshire Red we’d have been clueless.Lincolnshire Red Ale House and Kitchen is at 3 Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1UX. For more informationor to book a table, call 01522 522164 or log on to www.lincolnshirered.co.uk077:Layout 1 17/6/13 10:00 Page 178 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFOOD & DININGThe QueensHead Inn Kirkby-La-Thorpe, SleafordThe Queens Head has been known for its hearty and delicious foodfor as long as we can remember. It’s been far too long since welast ate there, so we paid them a long overdue visit toremind ourselves how good it was.Well what can we say? We weren’t disappointed. Thesurroundings are as traditional as we remember, with one of thewarmest welcomes you’ll ever hope to get in the south of thecounty. Famous for its generous portions and relaxedsurroundings, entering the plush bar is like coming home inmany ways. Think horse brasses, comfortable seating in the barand time to pore over their extensive menu and specials.We were amazed at the sheer amount of choice available. Withseveral specials available for both starters and main courses andsome special treats for dessert thrown in too, it took us a while todecide what sounded most tempting.We eventually chose starters of wild boar and juniper berry terrine with adark onion marmalade and toasted walnut bread and a fantastic stilton andonion tart served with salad leaves. We were most taken with the terrine.Creamy and luxurious, it was perfect spread over the still-warm toast andchimed well with the marmalade which was both sweet an succulent.The stilton and onion tart was also a treat, the short crust pastry fallingapart to reveal a great blend of sugary, soft onions and melted, earthystilton, simply delicious.For the main course, we opted for one of the largest steak andkidney puddings we think we’ve ever seen, covered in a rich gravy, thesuet was of the highest quality and hid juicy meat and hunks of kidneywithin. My dining partner went for a dressed crab, served with saladleaves, new potatoes and a gorgeous garlic and herb mayonnaise servedwith some excellent wholemeal rolls. The crab was fresh and tasty, with thesalad dressing and aromatic mayonnaise making it a classic and delicious dish.For dessert, we plumped for a French lemon tart with a caramelized topping servedwith a passion fruit sorbet and cream, which is somewhat of a revelation. The caramelisedtopping gives it a crème brulee-esque sugar snap while the lemon remains subtle and notoverpowering like some tarts of this nature can be. The passion fruit sorbet provided a freshzing of fruit too.My dining partner went for the baked banana and toffee cheesecake with toffee sauce andcream, which was a sweet and traditional take on the American staple banoffee pie. This waspolished off in a matter of moments and was something we’d order (and probably will) again!The Queens Head is just off the A17 in the village of Kirkby-La-Thorpe, just five minutes’ drive from Sleaford, NG34 9NU.For more information or to book a table, call 01529 305743 or log on to www.thequeensheadinn.com078-079:Layout 1 17/6/13 10:27 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY79DAYS OUTWe paid the working farm a visit to seewhat the animals were up to and we’reglad we did. Aimed at the younger endof the market, it’s by no means a pettingzoo. Instead, what Hardys Animal Farmaims to do is give a realistic view of whata working farm looks like and animals arehoused as they would be on a traditionalor commercial operation. This gives yourlittle ones the chance to get up close andpersonal with a whole range of animals,but also gives them knowledge of howanimals are raised, where they live andhow they behave when left to their owndevices.The animals range from lambs, sheep,goats, cattle, pigs and horses to ponies,rabbits, guinea pigs and even wildfowl onsite. Most animals are in pens that youcan visit at your leisure and the animalsare used to visitors too. We said hello tosome chickens, a grumpy llama, somecurious goats and even a noisy pigletduring our visit, so you can imagine howmuch fun it is!Attractions at the farm includescheduled petting sessions with thesmaller animals which is your chance tohandle rabbits, chicks, guinea pigs andmore. Horse and cart rides are also agreat touch, too often you will be pulledaround by a noisy tractor, but at Hardy’sa much more sedate and comfortableride is available and a great way of seeingthe cattle and horses in style. A vintagered Massey Ferguson is available for therides if the weather is bad or the horsesare tired too, so fans of historic farmmachinery could be in their element too.There’s been a fantastic additionrecently in the form of the Haystack’sIndoor Playbarn which offers kids thechance to play in safety with paddedactivity walls, wobbly mirrors andHardys Animal Farm, IngoldmellsIf you’re looking for a fantastic day out for the little ones, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything as funas Hardys Animal Farm. probably more importantly, seats formum and dad! It’s a great place to take amoment from the rain too, meaning theweather doesn’t have to ruin your visit.While inside, we’d recommend gettinga bite to eat too. With ingredientssourced locally, there’s a fantastic amountof choice, from homemade deliciouspizza to pasta dishes that are all freshlymade. If you just want a light biteinstead, there’s tempting sandwiches andpaninis too. The farm is a place we can imaginespending the whole day at, with plentyto see and do, you’ll have to drag thekids away!Hardys Animal Farm is onAnchor Lane, Ingoldmells, Skegness,PE25 1LZ. To find out more, call01754 872267 or log on towww.hardysanimalfarm.co.uk078-079:Layout 1 17/6/13 10:27 Page 2Next >