My local pub The Rose and Crown is part of the community. They have a beer and ale festival every May and regularly have events at Bonfire night, Halloween, and Christmas. The food is lovely as well, think luscious homemade soups, fabulous Celtic Pride beef burgers, and tasty pies and lasagnas. They also used to run great Pub Quizzes, unfortunately of late, they have become few and far between.
Up and down the country we have some great pubs, like the Rose and Crown. Pubs that have real ales, roaring fires in the Winter and barbecues in the summer. Pubs that serve great food at surprisingly affordable prices. Pubs that have great play areas for kids and pubs that run charity quizzes for local causes. Pubs that are at the heart of communities up and down the country.
An example of the fabulous local pub food served up and down the country
Wilson Field are running a campaign to highlight the fact that we are underusing our pubs in the UK. Unfortunately although we are starting to come out of a recession, pubs are closing every day in this country. They found that, " 8% of British adults never visit the pub and 36% of those who use their local pub now visit it less often than they did 12 months ago. Running costs, changing social behaviour and supermarket competition have been blamed by those in the pub industry."
So I would say to you, use your local pub, if you don't use it, you could lose it. If you are feeling the pinch why not alternate going to the local pub with a pub quiz night in the house, rather than not go at all.
Here is a photo from the Pub Quiz night I held recently.
In the spirit of the night, I cooked proper pub food, Quorn lasagne for the vegetarians, chicken and bacon pie (based on a Gordon Ramsey Recipe), chips and salad and fabulous marbled chocolate cheesecake. Myself and my husband created a "guess the faces" quiz, a music quiz and used a great pub quiz book for a general knowledge quiz. It was great fun but it was an effort. Many local pubs run interesting and fun nights like this all the time, and it is so much easier when other people organise it.
So in conclusion, don't forget how wonderful your local pub is. If you can't afford to go all the time alternate going there with a night of socialising in the house, just don't forget to USE IT, DON"T LOSE IT.
Mel's Chicken and Bacon Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts or 400 grams boneless chicken thigh, cubed
6 rashers of smoked bacon, fat and rind removed, cut into small pieces
2 leeks
100 grams mushrooms
1 large carrot
1 clove garlic
100 grams mushrooms
2 teaspoon of herbs such as tarragon or thyme
Puff pastry sheet (ready made or home made)
1 beaten egg
Method
Fry the chicken and bacon in a little oil until lightly browned.
Remove from pan.
Add a little oil and fry 1 clove of garlic for a minute.
Add leeks and mushrooms fry for a minute.
Add meat back to pan.
Mix in 2 dessert spoons of flour, and fry for a minute.
Add the herbs, chicken stock, and a splash of white wine (optional)
Set on high for 4 hours.
When cooked place the filling in the pie dish.
Take the puff pastry sheet and use as instructed.
Cover the pie dish with the sheet of pastry and cut off the excess, crimp the edges if desired.
Made a cut in the middle for the steam to escape and decorate with pastry leaves.
Use beaten egg to glaze the pie.
Cook for 30-40 minutes at 200o C in a preheated oven until the pastry is brown and the pie is heated through.
Serve with new potatoes or chips and seasonal vegetables.
Do you use your local pub? What special nights and events do they do? Do you enjoy pub quizzes?
*I was sent some pub quiz items for this post, all words and opinions are my own.
So in conclusion, don't forget how wonderful your local pub is. If you can't afford to go all the time alternate going there with a night of socialising in the house, just don't forget to USE IT, DON"T LOSE IT.
Our homemade pub quiz
Mel's Chicken and Bacon Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts or 400 grams boneless chicken thigh, cubed
6 rashers of smoked bacon, fat and rind removed, cut into small pieces
2 leeks
100 grams mushrooms
1 large carrot
1 clove garlic
100 grams mushrooms
2 teaspoon of herbs such as tarragon or thyme
Puff pastry sheet (ready made or home made)
1 beaten egg
Method
Fry the chicken and bacon in a little oil until lightly browned.
Remove from pan.
Add a little oil and fry 1 clove of garlic for a minute.
Add leeks and mushrooms fry for a minute.
Add meat back to pan.
Mix in 2 dessert spoons of flour, and fry for a minute.
Add the herbs, chicken stock, and a splash of white wine (optional)
Set on high for 4 hours.
When cooked place the filling in the pie dish.
Take the puff pastry sheet and use as instructed.
Cover the pie dish with the sheet of pastry and cut off the excess, crimp the edges if desired.
Made a cut in the middle for the steam to escape and decorate with pastry leaves.
Use beaten egg to glaze the pie.
Cook for 30-40 minutes at 200o C in a preheated oven until the pastry is brown and the pie is heated through.
Serve with new potatoes or chips and seasonal vegetables.
Do you use your local pub? What special nights and events do they do? Do you enjoy pub quizzes?
*I was sent some pub quiz items for this post, all words and opinions are my own.
I miss going to pub quizzes. Btw that pie looks lush.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.joannavictoria.co.uk/
Thanks Joanna!
DeleteI love proper old school pubs! Wish I had more babysitting so I could go more often!
ReplyDeletePub quizzes are great fun, if people don't cheat on their mobile phones :)
DeleteOur local pubs are more food pubs, so we only ever go for birthdays. Plus of course, since having children, none of are are just free to go out whenever.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge pub quiz fan - shame the OH isn't, otherwise I'd be dragging him down there once a week
That's a shame your other half doesn't share your love of pub quizzes.
DeleteI do love a good pub! We have several good ones nearby. None with a beer garden suitable for children, though, which is a shame.
ReplyDeletePubs with beer gardens are not as common as they should be, unfortunately.
Delete