Brockholes, Salmesbury

So I've decided to shake things up. You all know that I eat a lot of food and bake a fair bit, but I do way more than that. I'm constantly looking for new adventures and doing things that make me happy. I'm always asking folk for recommendations, and people ask me too. So it's decided, I'm putting anything on my blog that adds to the pursuit of happiness.

The brief: It's sunny although not mad hot, but you fancy a walk somewhere pretty. One answer is Brockholes in Salmesbury. There's a visitor's centre if you want to get interactive, a playground for the nippers, a cafe, and the most stunning nature reserve. 

There are way more than mallards there too (although I did enjoy seeing a mallard eating off a bird table). There have been sightings of buzzards, hares and there's even talk of a Savi's warbler. You heard.

It's a weird little place, you're walking round this beautiful setting, whilst constantly aware of the hum of the M6 beside you, not that it spoils it. It's like this crazy little oasis in the middle of our chaos. Whilst most people are on the look out for birds and the odd fancy duck, my eyes were peeled for little creatures wriggling about the undergrowth, unusual butterflies, and (unintentionally) a wee weasel!

Brockholes map

Note - not a real mole.

Go here to escape the madness of real life. Go listen to a warbler, watch the little fish swim in the pools, and enjoy recapturing your childhood counting ladybirds. It's a beautiful place.

Falshaw's Farm Shop, Bury

It's the age old quandary, where do you go on a sunny day that won't be rammers, and you don't have to spend several hours in a heinous traffic jam in order to get there? Gem found. Falshaw's Farm Shop is just outside Ramsbottom, overlooking the rolling countryside. You can sit and eat whilst joined by the lovely cows and sheep with their babies, and a few mental birds running around the gaff.

If you're a fan of outside dining, you can eat al fresco, or stay in the cool cafe if you prefer. There's a large lawned area to the side of the cafe, where children can play safely on the mini tractors, and adults can coo over baby cows in the field whilst getting a tan. If you fancy it.

It was pretty early, and after initially declaring we weren't in the mood for a fry up, there we were, with a rather large breakfast in front of us, watching the above mentioned birds chase each other round the farmyard, and listening to children laughing. Absolutely delightful.

And what's the most obvious thing in the world to follow a full English? Correct, ice cream! It was hotter than the surface of the sun. I opted for a hugely refreshing elderflower and gooseberry sorbet, which was the perfect antidote to the sun beating down on us.

Go here for a bit of tranquility, home made food, friendly faces, and ice cream. If you're under six, also go here for mini tractors.

Parker's Arms, Newton-in-Bowland - Revisited (again)

It's one of my happiest places, and no matter what happens, always will be. The Parker's Arms in Newton-in-Bowland is the most magical of locations. It's like going visiting family who welcome you home like you've been missed dearly, and want to feed you up because you've clearly neglected yourself. AJ, Stosie and Kathy are the most beautiful of people, with warm hearts and a burning desire for all who enter to have the most wonderful of times. 

Now then, what to do on the most glorious day of the year so far? The brief is this; a ride out to somewhere in the countryside, a spot of lunch in the sun, and a nice walk afterwards. It had to be the Parker's. 

Just a short drive past Clitheroe and through Waddington is the tiny village of Newton. When you walk through the door of the Parker's, the delightful AJ will be there to greet you, and have a drink in your hand before you've even finished mithering the first dog you've met (French bulldog in our case). With it being such a stunning day, we decided to sit outside to soak up some rays, and bask in the glory of the picturesque countryside.

Sweet potato skins: Sweet, crispy and delightfully salty, these came with home made wild garlic mayo. I've never seen these anywhere else, and serve as an instant reminder of Stosie's skill when it comes to delicious simplicity.

Chicken liver parfait with pickles and chutney: The sweet and tart flavours combined were perfect for a sunny day. All home made and in perfect proportion.

Chicken pie with wild garlic sauce: They use their own wild garlic when it's in season, which is the most delicate of flavours. This is pie perfection right here. The pastry is light and buttery, and the portion size just perfect. Any more than this may kill you dead. That would ruin the ambience in a heartbeat.

Lamb and mint pie with lamb fat crust: Jeez Louise. This was the star of the show in my eyes. Not the obvious choice when sat in blazing heat, but I trusted in Stosie's pie power. Again, not so big that you're likely to have a cardiac arrest on the way home, but perfectly satisfying in every way. A special shout out goes to the world's best mash, so buttery that I think my arteries decided to keep some as a souvenir. I'm furious just looking at it, shining like a shiny temptress...

I've always wanted to go and explore the picturesque river just next door, but previous trips have been marred by snow, rain, over-eating or just being riverbank blocked! Not this day my friends. I was going. Newton hit new heights of cuteness when I discovered that locals were having a duck race. Enid Blyton would have been just ecstatic. So the Terrific Two hoofed it over a bridge, and down to the banks just as the race had finished, to be left with the most stunning of scenes, watching little fish play in the shallows, whilst we reflected on the most perfect afternoon. Life really is fantastic.

Go here to make yourself happy. The Parker's Arms can do no wrong in my eyes. I have never yet had anything but the most fantastic meals here, and recommend them to pretty much everyone I know. Say 'hi' to AJ for me if you visit.

God that was a joy to write.

The Boathouse, Appley Bridge

I love a recommendation. I have a list on my phone of places where friends and colleagues have insisted I must go, and I have to say that it's very rare that this system lets me down. A couple of weekends ago it was the turn of The Boathouse in Appley Bridge. Another Sunday, another roast.

The Boathouse is set in a lovely little village in Wigan, and is positioned next to a beautiful canal with barges, cute places to sit and even a few friendly ducks. It's ideal for these upcoming sunny days we've been promised.

The dining room is smartly decorated, yet feels homely, with a separate 'snug' area if you just fancy a drink. There are lots of brightly coloured traditional pots and pans, a few nets, and other nautical memorabilia adorning the walls and beams (think Rosie and Jim), but more impressively, the music is fantastic! Both the Foo Fighters and Incubus were on whilst we were there. It's a Spotify playlist they created apparently...

We picked from the Sunday lunch menu, which is £13.95 for two courses, or £16.95 for three. Normally we pick different things and try a bit of each other's, but sorry folks, we both wanted the same thing this time.

Ham hock - fried egg, toasted brioche and peppercorn sauce: A thick piece of brioche topped with a big old pile of shredded ham hock. Really very tasty indeed.

Boathouse traditional Sunday lunch - beef, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: Very simple and not over-thought. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and retained a little bite, and the beef was tender and bathed in gravy. The only thing that could have been improved for us was the Yorkshire, which should have been a little crisper. Nevertheless, very enjoyable.

Sticky toffee pudding - toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream: We were both huge fans of this pudding. It was the kind of sticky toffee pud that has chunks of sweet date hiding in a very light sponge. Beautiful.

Coffee and Eccles cake: This is worth a mention because it came with a very special little Eccles cake. Sugar coated pieces of happiness.

The Boathouse is a lovely ride out into the countryside without having to go too far. The scenery is just idyllic too. It's the kind of place where couples feel just as comfortable as families, and there is plenty of room to sit outdoors if the weather is nice. They even have a little ice cream hut next to the canal. Go here on a lazy, warm afternoon.

The Clog and Billycock, Pleasington

The Clog and Billycock used to be our regular haunt. We sort of forgot about our Pleasington based pals as more and more decent establishments opened closer to home. A couple of weeks ago we were in dire need of a decent Sunday Roast. Manchester was off limits due to the current state of rail-specific doom, so we headed towards the Ribble Valley for guaranteed beef based happiness. 

They have a pretty good deal on Sundays now too; two courses for £17.50 or three for £21. You can also book online, which makes things simpler. In the past you could only book for tables of six or more. 

Basket of Clog bread with local butter, rapeseed oil, treacle vinegar, black pea humous: I needed this after a considerable amount of fizz the evening before. Sorted me right out. Pea humous is the future my friends, and I'm fairly confident that treacle vinegar can cure most ills.

Cream of asparagus soup: Deeply comforting, creamy, and surely very good for you as it's green.

Roast rump of beef, Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, mash, seasonal vegetables, red wine shallots and roast gravy: Seriously, it's one of the best roasts around. It's not hard, yet so many places get it so wrong. This one is from the school of thick cut, pink roast beef with a load of well executed carbs. Their mash had me spritely in seconds, only to be inflicted with a new ailment moments later; I was so full I may have died.

I'd been coveting the rhubarb and apple crumble for dessert, but when push came to shove, I'd already eaten way too may carbs. Thinking about it, the sugar would have helped to revive me, but I just couldn't face it. I'll just have to go back for round two...

The Aspinall Arms, Clitheroe

Apparently the Queen wants to retire to the Ribble Valley - who can blame her? It's a beautiful area of the country, with rolling hills, babbling brooks, Roman ruins and some of the best pubs and restaurants in the country. I'm convinced that a pretty view makes the food taste better too. 

The Aspinall Arms in Mitton near Clitheroe used to be a pub we drove past on our way to The Three Fishes. When it was suggested we take a trip, I remembered it being in Mitton, but that was about it. About seven years ago we had just discovered Nigel Haworth's Ribble Valley Inns, and thought no-one would ever come close to their amazing home cooked pub food. Then folk started to considerably up their game. We no longer had to drive for an hour to get food worthy of the Good Food Guide; the Hearth of the Ram and Eagle and Child opened in Ramsbottom, and Manchester got the belly warming Beef and Pudding. The new breed of gastropub have been popping up everywhere ever since. This is great news for greedy folk like me, because there are more places to sample. 

The modern 'pub grub' establishment is a far cry from the wildly patterned carpeted, smoky kind of gaff serving up scampi and chicken in a basket, whilst the the football on the telly talks to itself in the background. These days it's all about roaring fires in the winter, al fresco dining in the summer, and more often than not, chalk paint in duck egg blue.

After extensive renovation in 2014, The Aspinall Arms is a real contender in the area. Some of our family live nearby, and were excited to take us there to try it for ourselves. We went on a Saturday evening (post cake club might I add...), when it was just starting to get busy. I needed something savoury more than I needed oxygen (slight exaggeration - granted). 

We had a good look at the cask selection whilst we waited for the rest of our party to arrive, which included a healthy selection of local breweries such as Hawkshead, and hometown favourite, Bank Top. By the time we sat down, I was absolutely ravenous, but luckily our order was taken pretty sharpish and I avoided nibbling on a beermat.

8oz steak burger topped with grilled bacon and Cheddar, served with coleslaw and chips: I'm always a bit dubious about ordering burgers from places like this. It generally goes one of two ways with little in between. It was truly scrumptious. Just the right ratio of toppings to burger, crisp home made chips and a dollop of coleslaw. The perfect savoury antidote to an afternoon laced with sugar.

Braised shoulder of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and lamb jus: A little more refined than my oozing burger. This rich slow cooked lamb fell off the bone. I'm presuming my husband would have preferred it with chips though, as he kindly liberated some of mine...

Other members of the party had the humongous fish and chips, the venison and the crispy beef salad. Turns out the haddock was the winner amongst the group.

Crème brûlée with shortbread biscuit: I was way too full for a dessert (clearly sabotaged by cake club gluttony), but I had to get a snap of this impressive dessert.

A quick cuppa was required to revive several flagging diners, who were already rather wriggly indeed. The shortbread biscuit definitely helped...

We all really enjoyed our trip to The Aspinall Arms. The service was attentive, the food was warming and the ambience was restorative. The Three Fishes have some serious competition from their new glam neighbours.

The Mouse Trap, Ramsbottom

Imagine the scene... Boxing Day 2013; a day where most normal folk are suffering from a major dose of over-indulgence, and others are even considering whether they may have developed gout. What was I doing? Messaging a cheese shop about their tasting evening! It's just not normal, is it? The demand for places at The Mouse Trap's cheese and wine evenings is so high, that the next available Friday was at the end of March. We were willing to wait.

Our friend Kev had heard about it through a friend at work, and was dying to go. Cue some fool getting a new job and having a leaving party on the same night as said cheese and wine evening. I was not a popular individual! The next available night was 4th July. I calculate that as being roughly a six month wait. It was worth it.

The Mouse Trap is situated on the main road running through Ramsbottom, just a couple of doors down from the First Chop pub. For such a tiny town, Ramsbottom boasts some of the best food lovers destinations in the North West. Sanmini's, The Chocolate Cafe, Ramsons, Hearth of the Ram, The Eagle and Child, and now Levanter are all but a stone's throw away. Do you see why we love it?

It's only a tiny place, much like many of the other establishments on Bolton Street. The shop is packed with mouse related memorabilia, chutneys, home baked goods, and an absolute shedload of cheese. We were greeted by a friendly couple, who offered us a seat by the window, took our wine to chill and then promptly poured us a glass. They don't usually serve alcohol, so guests are encouraged to bring their own, with corkage being included in the £9.95 per head tariff. We took a nice Prosecco. 

There were thirty six cheeses on the standard menu, plus a further four specials. Choosing from this epic list was a nightmare, but it was suggested that rather than do the standard five per couple, that we just share the ten between us. 

Your platter also comes with a decent range of accompaniments, all of which are refillable at no extra cost:

• Butter
• Apple and sultana chutney
• Tomato and balsamic chutney
• Black olives
• Fruit loaf
• Wholemeal seeded loaf
• Cheese crackers
• Fruit and seed crackers
• Herb crackers
• Crisp-breads
• Water crackers
• Red and green grapes

We went for:

1. Isle of Mull - very firm with a tongue tingling flavour. Perfect on the seeded bread with either of the chutneys.
2. Flamin Eck - a jalapeno infused creamy cheddar with sun dried tomatoes. A subtle warmth at first and then boom! Those chillies have quite a kick.
3. Comte - a beautiful hard French cheese that has a slight sting on your gums. I like this cheese sensation... 
4. Wensleydale and Cranberries - one of my favourites from the evening. Very creamy with a subtle flavour and plenty of fruit. 
5. Oakwood Smoked - A lovely rich cheese with a subtle smoky flavour. Great with the tomato and balsamic chutney. 
6. Lancashire Bowland - more like a dessert than a cheese. This was creamy yet crumbly with plenty of plump fruit and cinnamon. It was matched perfectly with the fruit bread and apple chutney. 
7. Camembert Rustique - a real gloppy little number with a smooth texture. I love a cheese that's trying to run off the plate. 
8. Brie de Meaux - pungent yet strangely inoffensive at the same time. I often find Brie a little underwhelming, but the strong flavours in this smelly little article won me over.
9. St Agur - reportedly the 'best blue cheese to come out of France'. I'm not a huge fan of blue cheeses, but this was creamy, delicate and all kinds of wonderful. Nice spread on the fruit and seed crackers. 
10. Blacksticks Goats Cheese - this was from the specials. I sometimes find goats cheeses too powerful, but this one was much more subtle. 

Kev getting cocky with the Flamin Eck and Paddy proving that you can take
the boy out of Horwich, but you can't stop him mixing the cheeses...

As you can see, we did a pretty stirling job of polishing off that cheese. I think we even ended up eating the rest of the grapes before it was taken away! While most mere mortals had a coffee after their cheese, I decided a massive hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows was in order. It's about addressing that all important sweet/savoury balance.

I think you all need to experience The Mouse Trap. Their selection of cheese is fantastic, and the people running it were just delightful.You don't have to wait months to book onto a tasting evening as they are open during the day as a normal cafe, or you can simply buy cheese to take home where no-one can see how much of a pig you are...

Join me on Facebook

Tweet me @dollybakes
Have a nosy at my pics on Pinterest