Area 33–Sunday Lunch-Sept 28th - The Black Lion, High Roding
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This was our first visit to the Black Lion
in High Roding, a 14th Century coaching inn beamed inside and out. There was certainly a warm welcome, as promised, with nibbles of crisps, pickles and chunks of nice strong Cheddar placed on the bar as we ordered our drinks. Judging by the number of cars and people coming into the bar area it appeared to be a popular watering hole; also with the frequency of food orders being taken by the two waitresses it suggested Sunday lunch should be ordered sooner rather than later. |
| This later proved to be true as our
starters came after a fair wait but proved to be quite
satisfactory. Whitebait, Salmon Moose and Crispy Fried Prawns
were popular; however, the lack of mayonnaise with the Whitebait
and Prawns resulted in the Salmon Moose eaters having their
mayonnaise raided by the others and a request for side orders of
toast produced hefty chunks of bread, nicely toasted, but in
true farmhouse style! Roasts of Beef or Lamb followed together with ample dishes of vegetables for all; however, the vegetarian dish of Roasted Vegetables proved to be only the same as the meat eater’s plate but without the meat! Lashings of gravy on the Vegetarian Roasted Vegetables was also out of place but fortunately was replaced on request. All the meals were clearly home cooked and would have benefitted from a little more flair especially with regard to seasoning and flavour. An even longer wait for our desserts suggested a very busy kitchen and waitress staff although quality and presentation were both pretty good. With bills of £13.95 for two and £16.50 for three courses there was no quibble over pricing, especially as coffees appeared to be only £0.35; good value! |
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A total of twelve Area 33 members
attended the Black Lion Lunch resulting in a nice array of
Classic and Modern Jaguars in the car park. Fortunately the weather was excellent and blue skies remained all day allowing a very pleasant drive home along the A1060 through The Roding’s and past The Easters of Essex. See you next time. |