Ok - maybe not Spring after all!

Gawd!!! The heatings back on and it's pouring cats and dogs.......... Come on Spring I'm waiting for you to come back! 

So! Good evening my lovelies, it's been great to see so many familiar faces popping in over the last few weeks for your post Bank Holiday breaks.  Some of you even went home with sun tans! Would be rust right now if you were here......! 

I was having some lovely conversations with guests in our pub this weekend and we always get great responses to the teams approach to customer service, in fact we got our results this week to the St Austell brewery mystery shop and we got 95% - we were thrilled and the 2 team members named (Jessie and Lauren) got a reward voucher from us. 

However, the conversation that stuck in my mind this week, was just HOW good our team are and how well they gel together.  I think it's because not only do we value them, pay them well and try to create a family atmosphere, THEY all seem to like each others company. 

Two of our team (who many of you will know and love) Jess (Manager) and Philly (one of our supervisors) have gone off 'glamping' for the week. I'm told that's glamorous camping - but as I say (boringly continuously) the only stars I will sleep under is where they have 4 or 5 over a hotel door! Yet, yesterday on their first day off where did they go for Sunday lunch?? Where they work! So I think that speaks volumes don't you?? 

Some of the Vic team with a couple of friends!!! 

We also have a team Facebook messenger group for sharing ideas, moans and grumbles as well as full on madness at times. They also like to go out together when they can, proving that a team that plays together - stays together!!! <<<<<<<<

We recently had a food blogger in our pub - Tim of Culinary Chatter. He did an absolutely amazing review and we are getting lots of positive comments on social media about it; 
http://culinarychatter.com/victoria-inn-salcombe/

It's always a bit nerve wracking having someone write about you however much you think you did a good job and it's not until I see it in print I can relax.  


We've also been nominated for Muddy Stiletto (Devon) awards - now this is an interesting one as it's voted for by you the customer, so If you'd like to vote for us please can you follow this link;
https://devon.muddystilettos.co.uk/awards/categories/
Best Destination Pub would be great - Thank you kindly! 

What else have I got to chat about today then??? 

Well, as many of you know, I'm not working quite so many hours these days - but that doesn't mean I'm not 'working'......... If I'm not on social media advertising the pub then I can often be found in my greenhouse.  This year I've grown (many from seed) lots of lettuces and leaves and I mean lots.  So much of my produce is finding its way onto the kitchen at the Vic to be used in the menus. As a certain Greg Wallace famously said on Master Chef - Food doesn't get fresher than this! 

It really doesn't either, and there's no pesticides been on them, just me singing along to music on my Bose player in the greenhouse. I've also got lots and lots of tomatoes I've planted - again, many from seed and I hope they will be great for our menu about August maybe! I don't think anything tastes better and is more rewarding than walking outside your door and picking the freshest of the fresh produce. 

Today, we've just had a fab new addition to our pub and something SOH and I talked about for ages and that is a trophy cabinet.  Made by a local craftsman Nigel Couch it's of the most amazing quality and our trophies look absolutely fab in it. Who knows, perhaps we'll have another one or two to put in it this year?? 

Well, I think that's it for now lets hope we have sunshine on our bodies when I write my next blog! 

Liz x x x x

MasterChef - Brilliant!

 A quick post just to tell you all about our amazing meal at the Treby Arms - a relatively small and unassuming pub outside of Plymouth in a place called Sparkwell.

What makes this place so special?? The fact that the Chef Patron is Anton Piotrowski who was the (joint) Masterchef Winner 2012!!

We've always been avid watcher's of this programme, with growing admiration as the contestants get further and further into the competition, but for us there was always something about Anton's food that we liked right from the very beginning! I do actually think the Judges were weak to split the title - it should have been only Anton - but that's just my thoughts.

Anyway - cut a long story short we were incredibly lucky to secure a booking for us last week, and what an amazing Dinner we had.

We went for the Masterchef Tasting Menu containing 10 (yes, TEN!) courses and it was the most amazing food I've tasted in ages!!
Its really hard to choose overall favourites from the menu, but suffice to say that the Pidgeon Wellington, Scallops with Vinegar Crumble and the Duck were A-MAZ-ING!!

The puds were out of this world and the Chocolate Soil with Popping Candy was incredible. But the Banana Pud with the Salted Caramel filled Chocolate tube will remain a hard pud to beat!!

It was also nice to see that St Austell Brewery supply the wines to them, and we had a bottle of superb Ermita Reserva Rioja from Bodegas Santalba - you may remember that we met Roberto from the Winery last year when he came over and we did some wine tasting with him. Made it even more special by having that great wine with our meal.  

It was also really interesting to hear from Anton & Clare just what it had been like for them winning something as prestigious as Masterchef - the whole excitement and great things that are happening to their business as well as the new challenges. They were a delightful couple, supported by great staff and we look forward to going back later on this year. Both Tim and I wish them great success for their future.

Happy New Year

Although for me its been a pretty difficult Christmas & New Year as my Asthma took one heck of a nose dive and I had two fabulous (!) days in hospital! I had hoped my general approach to health/fitness and diet would lead to a reprieve this winter but no such luck..... I do get pretty fed up with it all actually, but the life of a landlady is pretty much like being on the stage! On goes the slap, adjust the smile slightly, for Gods sake don't wheeze on the customers and whatever you do - don't pour drinks when you're up to your neck on steroids and inhalers........ Why?? Well the ensuing shakes and spilt drinks assure customers you're actually a functioning alcoholic!!!  But to be honest, when I'm that ill - there wasn't much work done till yesterday.

Apart from doom, gloom, a broken down car (just don't ask) and frankly big thoughts of disappearing to the Tropics for 4 months a year - the Festive period went exceptionally well - both on a personal level and professionally. All our friends survived most of the lurgies, an imminent Baby didn't make an appearance, the railways managed to transport my Brother in Law from Aberdeen and back again and remarkable quite well on time! SOH cooked the MOST amazing Christmas Day lunch, present opening took HOURS, we played all the rubbish traditional games and didn't put the TV on once!!!

Work wise, we had a really good trade - Christmas Eve food was divine and we were PACKED out..............In fact since then, its been pretty marvellous all the way through!!Even though I say so myself!!  Afternoon food has been very much appreciated by people with families and walkers, and we look forward to growing that side of our business this year.   We were packed out again NYE - had our delightful table top magician and of course our Old Gaffers.  NY day saw our now traditional Curry Buffet with the Mutton Kashmiri Curry being the MOST popular. Today, we were privileged to host a family gathering - Birthday and generations getting together - in our upstairs restaurant, as well as a pretty full pub! But many, many were going home today and certainly tomorrow - so it's bound to be quieter now. Just as well as we take our staff out next week to say thank you to them!!  Photos WILL be posted............ 

On the note of photo's here are some from NYE at the Victoria - don't forget we were virtually fully booked for NYE12 from MID NOVEMBER.......... so if you fancy joining us THIS year, don't leave it to late to book!  

On a personal note, SOH and I are eating at the Treby Arms, near Plymouth this week - what makes that so special?? Well the Chef Patron is Anton Petrowski who was the Masterchef Winner 2012 - Can't wait!! My Christmas gift from SOH is dinner at Tom Kerridges pub in Marlow in February......... all this gorgeous food to look forward to!