The last ciabatta beefburger?

One or two of you may have noticed an occasional mention of the BootBoys with whom I sometimes go walking.

This one was not a particularly exhausting walk and appealingly involved a pub. Even better it started and finished at Linthwaite so can be used by our eager guests who enjoy a 5 mile ramble (each way) away from everyone else. I'm not going to describe the walk here because the BootBoys site does it so much better, (click here for instructions and map) but as we walked the subject came round to the prospects of lunch. Now at the end of this route South you end up at the Mason's Arms, Strawberry Bank, famous for its Guinness Book of Records entry for the most beers on offer, and just down the road is the under new management Hare and Hounds at Bowland Bridge, which is where we were actually headed. But you could do both of course. And the Brown Horse at Winster on the way back. Beware though, too many beers and you might not find Linthwaite again so be careful, we can't afford to lose guests.

 

Now it's not often one goes to the same hostelry twice in 24 hours, unless you are staying there of course in which case it makes perfect sense, but ridiculously perhaps, I had been to the Hare & Hounds the night before. It's a long story but basically involved my Mother-in-law. My wife, Jean, and Mum, also called Jean so you could call them a pair of Jeans, had enjoyed a massive portion of fish and chips with mushy peas. So large they only managed one portion between them, having luckily seen one arriving at another table as we sat down.

 

I'd ordered the beefburger in ciabatta. A nice intriguing twist. Could it be better than the beefburger our late friend Keith Floyd had designed for us at Linthwaite? Almost. It was superb. Or as Michael Dinner would say, historic. Succulent beef, nice little salad, their own take on fresh proper tomato sauce, chunky chips for a chunky chap, and the lovely ciabatta.

 

So there we were, four fellow walkers meandering though the Winster Valley and the conversation came round to “are we there yet, is it time for lunch?”. I was extolling the virtues of this wonderful beefburger I'd had the night before, so much so that when we arrived at the pub none of us looked at the menu, and we all ordered the burger. Imagine my shock, surprise, consternation and disappointment, when they turned up, sans ciabatta, but with soft bun. Luckily the BootBoys still lapped it up and declared it good.

 

We asked the manager where the ciabatta had gone and the response was that the public had apparently voted for no ciabatta so they'd just changed it. Which goes to show that you must be careful recommending things, and always read the menu!

 

So my dinner the night before was in a way historical. The last ciabatta beefburger served at the Hare & Hounds maybe?