Holdenby Food Show

Holdenby Hall

Over the Bank holiday weekend, we visited a couple of country shows. The first was the Holdenby Food Show sponsored by Waitrose, though I have to say the Waitrose presence was quite discreet.

Not a bad event, this; quite small but with lots going on. Cost us £7.50 each to get in (we could probably have got the 'old crocks' concession and paid £6,50, but the admission included entry to the house as well). Good cookery demos with chefs from very good local hotels and restaurants. lots of different foods to try and buy and good value kitchen utensils. We had a good time and bought a pie dish which we went home and filled with a steak pie - delicious!

The only problem with this show was the signage - we got well and truly lost in the back roads in spite of the fact that Marea knows the area well since she drives through it every day on her way to work and has Marie Curie Cancer Care support groups in some of the surrounding villages.

Tunnel Brewery - where I usually buy my beer

There are lots of these old piles in Northamptonshire, and they all look more or less the same, but the gardens tend to be rather good - particularly Coton Manor which we visit occasionally. They do art classes and garden classes as well as running a small garden centre. It's well worth a visit, if only to see the Flamingoes.

Our second visit, to Stoneleigh, wasn't so good. More later.