To the Shy Horse

We finally made it back to the Shy Horse the week before the week just past, seemingly something more than five years since our last visit, as noticed at reference 1.

Not part of the Stonegate empire, rather part of Vintage Inns part of the Mitchells & Butler empire, to be found at reference 3. 'If you want to enjoy sumptuous food in rural surroundings, then look no further than Vintage Inns. We look forward to welcoming you'. They are also dog friendly, which, these days, is not to be sniffed at if you are a dog owner. A lot of eateries are not. And to be fair, the Shy Horse despite being mainly a perfectly respectable pub grub operation, also runs to a bar area and, in the winter, a real fire. Albeit one of those two sided ones which do not draw very well. Or at least, so I have been told.

Soup of the day was tomato, which I am not usually that keen on, but this one was fine and came in a decent portion.

Followed up with pie of the day, which I think was pushing it a bit. Final assembly was probably done to order, but the tops and the pie mix underneath probably came from the wholesaler. Slap a bit of mix of the day in the bowl, pie pastry on top, into the microwave and job done. I would be very surprised to learn that my chicken pie mix had been put together that morning from the left overs of the day before's roast chicken.

So not a proper pie at all, but perfectly eatable - and the green vegetables were pretty good. Green even, rather than kept warm to a mush in a bain-marie. Gravy on the side, without my having to remember on the side. Given that the pie mix was white, I don't think that I used any of it.

The dessert was quite complicated, but I enjoyed it rather more than I thought likely when it first turned up. I did sub the fruit & veg out to BH. To my mind, an inappropriate mix of textures, even if it looks pretty on the plate.

BH happy with what she had, although I forget now that that was.

Service good. The tip profile business, mentioned at reference 1, did not come up on this occasion. Perhaps they have moved on.

I think it likely that we will be back in less than five years this time.

PS 1: Littré knows all about bains-marie, but does not tell me where the marie bit comes from. But he does remind me that you take your bain in a baignoire, rather taking your bath in a bath, in the English way.

PS 2: from time to time I comment on the vagaries of orange supply, oranges seeming to be a fruit which varies a good deal from week to week, from shop to shop. Paying the same price does not mean you are going to get the same thing at all. However, oranges for the last few months have been pretty good, perhaps it is their season. And this one was noticed for its curious shape; it was fine inside.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2018/11/to-rose.html.

Reference 2: https://www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/london/theshyhorsechessington#/.

Reference 3: https://www.mbplc.com/.