Ashfield U3A
It was good to see Ashfield U3A enjoying a relaxing and well deserved rest in the Cafe at the Cavern today. They had been walking from Brandside to the Race track and then back to Poole's Cavern via the Health and Safety site up at Harpur.
They do three walks a month and their next planned walking trip is to the Goyt Valley. Hopefully we will see them again soon.
We are four friends who share a taste for the good things in life and food is near the top of our list.
We were not disappointed. We ate well, were served well and the atmosphere was pleasant. The members of the Cavern Catering Team had done well to create a venue for fine dining from what is essentially just a café.
The Evening
We were greeted on arrival and taken straightaway to our table by Café manager Paula. We were given free iced water throughout the evening, which was a sensible addition to the favourite white and red wines we had brought with us. Individual members of staff were happy to discuss all food questions we had during service.
We were soon brought a plate of freshly baked bread and a lightly salted butter as an appetiser. It was simple well baked soft bread with a delicious combination of oil and Rosemary that could only be improved if served warm.
The boys started with onion soup. There was no shortage of nicely softened onions and an agreeably large and tasty cheese crouton added extra flavour. The soup had a distinctively strong taste due to the Buxton Brewery ale used in the stock.
The girls had opted for the pigeon breast that was neatly presented on a white profile plate and topped with potato crisp, pea shoots, dabs of celeriac puree and very nicely complemented with mushrooms, bacon and beetroot. The meat was tasty and the whole dish was a brilliant combination of flavours.
For our main course, three of us opted for the Ox cheek which arrived on a large white platter with substantial portions of dark leafy green kale and red cabbage. This assured me I would have at least two of my five-a-day and was a good healthy choice. The smoky mash was smooth and creamy, just as I like it, and the sweet baby carrots gave a nice colour and taste contrast to the other vegetables.
The Ox cheek was cooked to perfection, being tender and tasty with just the right amount of the cooking juices reduced to a bold sauce. This was truly a flavoursome dish which we all thoroughly enjoyed.
The other main course choice was the Chicken Ballotine. It was a colourful plate of food with 4 generous slices of the ballotine. With mushroom and thyme combining to create a delicious stuffing for the moist and tender chicken breast, the whole was complemented with an ample amount of buttery velouté sauce, potato croquette and seasonal vegetables.
For dessert, one of us chose the Panna Cotta that turned out to be an absolutely winning combination of pear, elderflower, ginger and honey comb. It was a wonderful take on a favourite Italian dessert.
The rest chose the Tarte Tatin. This was another taste triumph. It was a perfect slice of tart. Sugar dusted apple slices with a caramel glaze on a sweet pastry base, an amazing smidgen of rhubarb coulis and a gorgeously light, hot Cardamom custard. Heaven! We all agreed.
To finish we had a decent cup of coffee and a morsel of smooth, sweet and creamy hand cut fudge. It was a nice finale to an excellent meal.
The keys to great food are the right ingredients, the right recipe and the right techniques.
Well done Hattie. You nailed it. Do it again soon.
If you are struggling to find that perfect present for the person that has almost everything, why not consider giving them a year's membership to Buxton Civic Association. As well as supporting a well established charity, that owns and manages 160 acres of beautiful woodland in and around Buxton, membership entitles the recipient to free car parking at Poole's Cavern Visitor Centre car park, free guided tours of Poole's Cavern and 10% discount off purchases of food and drink at the Cafe in the visitor centre. Full details can be found by clicking on the link below.
model Spitfire - kits available from Poole's Cavern
If like me you find buying Christmas presents for people difficult, then why not take a trip up to Poole’s Cavern visitor centre and have a browse around the shop. Parking is easy and while you are there you can grab a hot drink and a slice of cake to give you that little bit of extra energy to get some shopping done.
Some gifts that are on sale, that are worth mentioning are the model airplane kits. There are four different models available, with the Spitfire and the Hurricane being the most popular. A great way of spending a couple of hours assembling the model, or perhaps helping someone put one together and they have the added bonus that they actually fly.
Buxton Town Team have commissioned an illustrated map of the town. Combining the work of a number of local artists, the map is printed in full colour at A1 size (about 33 x 22 inches) and shows the town and its surroundings with illustrations of key points in its history, buildings and people. A handy timeline makes the point that people have been settled here for thousands of years. The map is available at the shop along with some Buxton tea towels.
There is also a wide range of Onyx candle holders, hand crafted stone bowls and goblets, book ends and paperweights, beautiful handmade silver jewellery. The shop also stocks lovely soaps and balms from the Bakewell Soap Company and a wide range of books and guides to the Peak District.
A final thought if you are looking for something to give someone local. Why not combine a year’s Membership of Buxton Civic Association with a one of the Panoramic Prints of the View from Solomon’s Temple.
The shop is open 7 days a week, from 10-4 pm
Buxton Town Team Map
Alyson Philips did a fantastic job in organising a member’s social evening at such short notice after the Chapel en le Frith Civic Society had to cancel our trip to them, last Thursday. As well as the chance to enjoy Alyson’s baking, Members were given a sneak preview of the panoramic photographs from Solomon’s temple that Lyn Noble has been preparing. It is hoped that these will go on sale at the visitor's centre in the near future. There were some interesting discussions about the future of the market amongst other things. A big thank you to all those members who supported the event. We are looking forward to the next one already.
We have installed our nest box cam with a feed through to a screen in the cafe. All we need now are some occupants. So fingers crossed that a pair of blue, coal or great tits decide that this is the perfect location for them and take up residence and start a family. We will keep you posted, or better still pop into the cafe and have a look for yourselves.
The cafe at Poole's Cavern is dog friendly, so there is no need to leave them tied up outside or lock them in the car after your walk in the woods. Bring them into the cafe while you can enjoy a hot drink and some cake. We will even give them a treat. Send in your pictures of your dog enjoying the cafe and we will add it to our gallery.
We joined BCA because we loved to be involved in our local community. We like walking and discovering what's new in our town and woodlands. We love the dramatic change of season and use the surrounding area as our inspiration for creative projects.
We would like to see live events and workshops in the woodlands over the next few years, with music, food and celebration being the theme. Interested to know how you would use the woodlands and Cafe @ The cavern for your next event?
Keep everyone happy after your morning or afternoon's activities, replenish hungry bellies with good food, hot and cold refreshments.
Here is a blog post about how good the food is and a family who can recommend a hot chocolate on a winter's morning. A refreshing fresh orange juice in summer after playing in the park and woodlands
