EOT of the Year March and April update
It has been a disappointing couple of months in terms of Egg on Toast numbers with only 4 tried in March and 3 in April. There are a number of reasons but I have fallen foul of no breakfast type food after midday (or sometimes earlier!) menu restriction issue on more than one occasion. Hopefully May will prove more productive.
However the EoT I did try were some of the highest quality with some potential finalists identified.
March started well when myself and Andrew (who is still notoriously hard to pleases whatever he says about being more chilled) cycled from hard to please house in Aylsham to Bacton. No offence to Bacton but you wouldn’t expect to find such an excellent cafe as Watson’s there. It has a fabulous cake selection although today it was its breakfast fare we were interested in.
Unfortunately poached egg wasn’t an option so we both went down the fried road instead. This didn’t turn out to be a problem as they were perfectly cooked on nice sourdough bread and we both rated them highly so could be back for the end of year finals.
My next trip was with my useless so called EoT tasting team who never order egg on toast as they are always tempted away to meat based breakfast products such as bacon or sausage. The one exception being reliable Mike who is normally prepared to step up.
On this occasion we headed to the Rural Kitchen at Brooke. I had poached and reliable Mike tried the fried version. The toast was excellent but I think they had over toasted for the size of my eggs although reliable Mike felt his fried eggs gave good toast coverage. Another really good offering.
The highlight of the visit was when I was sexually harassed by a lady customer who told me I had a nice bum (which was unexpected), so to avoid embarrassment I agreed with her, panicked and nearly told her she had nice breasts, which would have been very wrong in a number of ways, especially as she didn't.
Moving quickly on then, later this year I’ll be returning to the Dolomites with a small group of cycling regulars so I thought a training ride was in order. I planned a 50 mile loop via the Angel cafe at Diss.
It soon became clear several more training rides would be needed as the peloton were in need of their cafe stop and we hadn't even cycled up a mountain. However what we had had was three punctures.
The EoT was some of the best so far with the eggs being exceptional and the toast, although from a packet, particularly well buttered.
EoT rules allow an accompany of mushrooms or tomatoes but no sauces, fish or meat, which is why mushrooms appear in the photo.
Finally in March we took a trip to Earsham Hall tearoom. Last time we went, in December, they only had room outside so this time I had sensibly booked an inside table to avoid hypothermia.
My team of egg on toast tasters mainly opted for Eggs Benedict which, as you now know from the rules, has a sauce and ham so once again they were of no use.
I’m thinking of rounding up a new team who actually will eat and rate the EoT with me.
Fortunately my EoT was a very good offering.
April started well as myself and Andrew (who is notoriously hard to please) had a trip to Wiveton Hall where I had not expected to find any EoT but it was there on the breakfast menu.
The ride itself got a bit wet which made us pedal faster enabling us to arrive 10 mins before breakfast cut off.
The EoT was rather disappointing with the toast over done and eggs under done so it won’t be featuring in the end of year finals.
To be fair our tea, coffee and pastries were outstanding.
I now thought it was time to pull out one of the big guns as we headed south to the Cake Crusader number one rated stop, Earsham Street Café in Bungay.
I was obviously expecting good things until I saw EoT wasn’t on the breakfast menu. Fortunately they were happy to poach me a couple of eggs but my fellow riders were less brave sticking to only breakfast items that were official available.
Although there was fractionally too much toast I didn’t mind as it was excellent sour dough and not the packet stuff I’ve had to put up with most of the year. Definitely best toast to date.
The eggs were near perfection just needing a few seconds less cooking but I’d much rather that way round and they tasted divine.
Despite been accused of bias today’s offering has gone top of the league so hopefully I’ll be back in December for EoT finals week.
To round off April myself and Big George took on our latest gravel bike adventure, this time round Norfolk's very own Rebellion way. The first leg was from Thetford to Kings Lynn.
There was time for some EoT action in Swaffham which, unlike the ride, was a disappointing with raw toast and under cooked eggs.
Unfortunately no more EoT was found on the trip meaning I am now well behind my target for the year and will need to up my game in May.
|
Cafe |
Month |
Toast |
Egg |
Presentation |
Overall taste/enjoyment |
Total |
|
Earsham street |
April |
7.8 |
8 |
7.9 |
17 |
40.7 |
|
Cannells |
February |
7 |
8.1 |
7.4 |
17.1 |
39.6 |
|
Angel cafe |
March |
7 |
8.4 |
7.5 |
16.5 |
39.4 |
|
Green grocers |
January |
7 |
8.4 |
7 |
16.9 |
39.3 |
|
Watsons Bacton |
March |
7.8 |
7.5 |
7.8 |
16.1 |
39.2 |
|
Good, bad and Hungry |
February |
7 |
8.3 |
6.7 |
16.3 |
38.3 |
|
Cafe Verdi |
February |
6.2 |
8.1 |
7.5 |
16.4 |
38.2 |
|
Gardeners kitchen |
January |
7.5 |
8.6 |
5.6 |
16.1 |
37.8 |
|
Earsham Hall |
March |
7 |
7.8 |
7.1 |
15.6 |
37.5 |
|
Obrennans great Walsingham |
February |
7 |
7.4 |
6.8 |
16.2 |
37.4 |
|
Byfords |
January |
5 |
8 |
7.9 |
15.8 |
36.7 |
|
Reepham station |
January |
6.1 |
8.3 |
6.7 |
15 |
36.1 |
|
Brook cafe |
March |
7.3 |
6.8 |
6.7 |
15.3 |
36.1 |
|
Piece of cake |
February |
7 |
7 |
6.5 |
15.2 |
35.7 |
|
ALDIs &sons cafe |
February |
7 |
7 |
6.2 |
15.1 |
35.3 |
|
Wiveton hall |
April |
6 |
6.8 |
6 |
13.7 |
32.5 |
|
Shellys |
April |
5.3 |
6.3 |
6.1 |
13.3 |
31 |
|
Sports park |
February |
5 |
7.8 |
4.5 |
12.2 |
29.5 |
|
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