October 2009
“All things bright and beautiful” wonderfully sums up October in England – it is the time to harvest the abundant crops and finally celebrate the fruits of the farms’ long labours. Harvest Festivals date back to pre-Christian times when the success of the crops governed most people’s lives. Autumn is the very best time of year to live in the quintessentially English Cotswolds. When the sun shines on the magnificent spectrum of leaf colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, there cannot possibly be any better place on earth. Accompanying the spectacular change in the landscape is the availability of an abundance of varieties of vegetables and fresh produce from our local farms and suppliers. The “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” is almost breathtaking in its perfection.
And so our chefs’ enthusiasm for their trade is renewed with the new season’s opportunities. The Priory Inn menus and specials board benefit greatly: autumn lamb is delicious – much tastier than the spring offering as the animals have spent the summer grazing on lush summer pastures - their meat is richer, sweeter and darker with a more pronounced marbling of creamy-coloured fat; game and grouse (in season from ‘The Glorious Twelfth’ August until 10th December - are at their best in the first half of the season); figs, local apples and pears – are all delicious now; and, of course succulent squashes and pumpkins later in the month highlight the arrival of the ghoulies and ghosties into our living world but should also be acknowledged as a source of nutritionally delicious and hearty meals and soups.
The local farmer’s markets are celebrating the harvest and the rich pickings that force our farming friends to work 12+ hour days. The Willingdales at Bow-in-the-Cloud vineyard in Malmesbury will be harvesting their grapes soon – a process that until recently was undertaken by friends and family. Now they cover enough land to require help – the pickers pitch tents, light camp fires and enjoy fine camaraderie after a day picking the 3 acres of swollen grapes - ready for turning into the delicious wine that so many of you enjoy here. Try a glass of the award-winning sparkling wine with a drop of Cotswold liqueur as a delicious aperitif.
Unique to England is “real ale” or “cask conditioned ale”. It is a living, breathing beer that continues to mature in the barrel from which it is served. Independent breweries dedicated to their craft are the best source and like winemakers, the brewers are true artisans. An outstanding example of the pinnacle of success in beer production is The Uley Brewery just 8 miles from Tetbury. Chas, Jody, Ken, and Stuart are the genuine Cotswold Brewers who work in much the same way as when their brewery was built in 1833. Running past the listed Victorian tower on its way to the Severn Estuary is the brewery’s highly prized natural ingredient – pure Cotswold spring water. They use malted barley from Devon, Hereford hops and yeast. There are no added sugars, conditioners, preservatives or stabilisers - it is clean, pure and simple.
The quality of care must continue beyond the brewery and Chas only selects “real pubs with real publicans” to serve his beer(!) Ale which remains in the cask for too long or is treated badly will rapidly “lose condition” - the taste deteriorating. Reflecting our care for real ales, “The Good Beer Guide” (Campaign for Real Ale) has again granted The Priory Inn a unique listing in Tetbury for 2010. We proudly serve Uley Bitter and Barbary Castle from Three Castles Brewery alongside other guest ales such as Goffs - Winchcombe, Cotswold Spring Brewery - Dodington Ash, the Wye Valley brewery and many others. We hope you enjoy our much-loved and carefully tended beer.
Our coffee bar has received its autumnal refresh recently and we hope that you’ll enjoy the look given by the creative team at Flowercube in Stroud. Always inspiring, certainly never “normal”, we are constantly wowed by France Fenwick’s arrangements both in the coffee bar and reception.
Live Sunday music has become an integral part of our product here at The Priory Inn. We start at 7pm to ensure that you can finish early on a Sunday and in the hope that families can enjoy the music together. This month we welcome Rosie Corlett on the 4th who is a unique artist with a heartfelt voice and beautifully written songs and by all accounts, creating quite a buzz! Juey returns by popular demand on 11th October with her disctinctive voice and charming country/folky style that will leave you wanting more! On the 18th we are pleased to welcome back Pigs Might Fly from Dursley, playing a combination of guitar, flute, bodhran and whistles blending rock, blues and folk. Then on 25th October - Pete Gill will entice with an evening of chill-out, cool jazz with his excellent keyboard skills and vocals. Click here for more details.
TL Kelly 01/10/09
