afternoon tea at the courtyard, ashby de la zouch, leicestershire.

Set back off the welcoming Market Street of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, you'll find The Courtyard. Vintage Brooke Bond, Lipton's and Lyon's Tea signs adorn the old brickwork of the Leicestershire establishment. Locals might notice there's been a new lick of paint on the outside, with friendly new management on the inside too. The quaint tearoom serves up freshly cooked breakfast, lunch and cakes, with afternoon tea to book in advance. 

wong kwei, ashby-de-la-zouch, leicestershire.

wong kwei chinese restaurant in ashby de la zouch has been there as long as i can remember. if you ever meet someone from ashby, there's not a chance they won't have been there for a meal or grabbed a takeaway. in fact they'll probably reel off their favourite dishes like their phone number. 

it's one of our fave places to go for birthdays or christmas catch ups; and having recently dined there i thought it was about time i took my camera and shared it with you.

taste of thai, ashby de la zouch, leicestershire.

not long ago i sent a little recommendation request out on twitter... what is the best thai in leicester or leicestershire? a few people replied with the same thing: taste of thai in ashby de la zouch. funnily enough that is my home town and i'd been here lots of times with my sixth form friends back when it was called thai rainbow. i'm not sure why it changed names but it's still the same welcoming restaurant which has been family run for 20 years. since i'd not been in a while i thought i'd try it out - with a few old favourite dishes and some new additions. we sat right next to some enormous goldfish :)

the posh pantry, ashby-de-la-zouch.

this weekend i went back to my hometown of
ashby-de-la-zouch to visit family and friends. it was lovely - the castle looked stunning against the autumn backdrop and the christmas market lined the streets.

so when i came across the posh pantry in rushton's yard i was really excited to see what local delights it had to offer. the cute little place is split into two shops; one side full of local produce such as cheese, meats and olives,  with the other lovingly stacked with jars of condiments, interesting pasta, tins of posh biscuits, sweet treats and brilliant christmas gift ideas. you can even have hampers made up to order!

i just had to try something - so went for a cheeky packet of vanilla and walnut shortbread to have with a cup of tea when i got in from the cold. they were delightful - really crumbly and sweet with chunky bits of walnut - just how shortbread should be. 

i love seeing new businesses like this and really hope it does well. especially since i'm hoping to try their cheeses when i visit over christmas. so if you're ever passing ashby-de-la-zouch (yes it is a real place!) why not take a little look inside?

the crowded house, ashby de la zouch.

Note: This establishment no longer exists and has been replaced by The Vine in Ashby de la Zouch.

The Crowded House is one of myself and my friends' favourite local place to go for drinks these days. with loads of brilliantly tasty cocktails as well as an extensive wine list, it's the right balance between having a buzzing atmosphere for twenty and thirty somethings - whilst still getting to wear a nice outfit that you aren't feeling horrible a stuffy wearing in a busy pub. the walls are covered in caricatures of various celebrities - fun to try and guess who's who! 

My personal favourite cocktails there is nuts & berries - made with hazaelnut liquor, chamboerd and topped up with bubbles! lovely! i used to really love dawn kiss - which was a strawberry version of this - which even though it isn't on the menu anymore the bar staff seem happy enough to make! :) 

So getting to the point - recently i went on a little dinner date with my mum and was pleased to see the lunch menu was just as appetizing. i decided the desserts looked too good to miss so went with a light main of soup of the day - french onion soup and crusty bread - and finished it off with a delightful lemon seville tart! (you may have noticed i'm a sucker for a lemon tart!) so sorry my main picture isn't that interesting - i promise it was very tasty. but be all means be jealous of the dessert!