Abbeys and eggs. (The Parlour, Binham)

The Parlour,

Binham,

Tue-Fri 10:00-4:00, Sat-Sun 9-4,

Recommended

It’s been a while since I visited a new cafe as my focus has been more on Egg on Toast so far this year. However on this ride I was hoping to kill both birds with a trip to a new cafe at Binham Abbey, the Parlour.

The ride started from Hard to Please House in Alysham where Andrew (who is notoriously hard to please) was waiting while hanging out the washing. As we were in his manor I had handed over route planning responsibilities to him so was more than a little nervous.

Despite it being very windy it was a glorious sunny Norfolk day as we discussed our favourite Abbey on what was actually an excellent route.

In the past Creake Abbey had always proved popular but sadly its cafe has closed down so I haven’t been there for a while. However as I recall it’s Abbey is a bit more ruined than Binham so it depends how in tact you like them as to which is better.

After a fine mornings cycling we arrived at the Parlour but sadly our battle with the wind had been in vain and cost us the breakfast menu as it ran out at 11.45 and it was now 11.50. The waitress stuck to her guns and I was only allowed eggs Royal (poached egg with sauce and salmon on muffin) or eggs Benedict which has ham as they were also on the lunch menu. Andrew, being vegetarian wasn’t even allowed a version with no ham or fish so had a mozzarella toastie instead.

I then checked out the cake selection which was ok having enough offerings if not a huge range. It was a good job I did as lurking in the background was a catering tin of the dreaded cadburys drinking chocolate. As you may recall in these circumstances I give the hot chocolate a rating of 5 and have a cup of tea instead rather than endure a cup of milky sugar drink.

Inside was very pleasant, if a little dark, and there was a nice outdoor seating area which was a bit too cold for use today. 

I must admit at this stage of proceedings I was a little disappointed with the Parlour.

However from here things started to pick up as the waitress delivered our food and drink and we exchanged a light hearted conversation.

My tea was excellent and Andrew liked his coffee. Our cakes, lemon sponge and raspberry crumble slice type thing, were delicious and my opinion of the Parlour greatly improved.

The eggs Royal were also very nice and although I couldn’t include them in EoT ratings, due to the strict no sauce rule, I felt it was worth another visit, before the Breakfast curfew, to check out standard EoT.

I would certainly recommend a visit. Especially if you like slightly less ruined Abbeys.

Next week I’m going to test out some of Norfolks new Rebellion way gravel route on a 3 day trip with Big George where hopefully we will also get some EoT action.

Scores

Hot Choc Quality	Guest Hot Drink Quality	Effective Cake Selection	Cake Quality	Ambiance and Atmosphere	Café Rating
5	7.2	6	7.8	6.45	6.49

Route to be published shortly 

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Egg on Toast February update

 EOT of the Year February update

It's been a super busy month in my search for Egg on Toast of the year as another seven have been sampled meaning I'm well on track for my 50 target.

I started out at Cafe Verdi in Mattishall which I hadn't visited for several years but was pleasantly surprised with what was on offer with the cake selection looking good.

I have trained a crack team of EoT testers to help with my mission but despite taking seven with me on this trip only one other joined me as the others were all tempted by bacon butties. This was a theme that continued throughout the month.

In terms of the egg on toast then mushrooms were included, which was a nice touch, and the eggs were perfect but it was let down by too much thin packet toast (or over toasting as us experts call it). However it made it into my current top 6 so could still make the end of season EoT playoffs.

My next trip was with the same crew of experts out to Aldi and sons cafe and farm shop near Poringland. They offered an all day breakfast option so no issues with arriving off menu. However only scrambled or fried were on offer. 

It was a very good offering with the toast being pre buttered which is always a nice touch. The eggs were slightly over cooked so didn't make it to the top but still a very enjoyable visit.

I like to spread my search wide so myself and Big George headed to Suffolk and the Good, the bad and the hungry near Stradbroke.

Fortunately Big George has been doing extra indoor training so we went a a descent pace which was a good job as we arrived just before midday when the breakfast menu stops.

We just got our order in in time. It was a good honest EoT and as good as you could expect with packet sliced bread. We both very much enjoyed it as it moved up towards the top of the table.

Every Monday morning I like to go for a swim at the UEA sportspark and as I cycle there it meant their EoT could be rated. It wasn't the best as eggs were small, toast thin and you had to butter it yourself. I don't want to miss any EoT opportunity as you never know (although I probably did).

The next day I set off with my crack testing team out to a Piece of Cake at Coltishall. Once again they were all tempted by the breakfast bap leaving me to EoT on my own.

Apparently they don't do poached anymore as people are too fussy about how they like them cooked (if only everyone was as flexible as me) so I had fried.

It was a fairly standard offering so didn't trouble the leaders

I was back with Andrew (who is notourisly hard to please even if he claims he isn't anymore) for a ride to OBrennans Cafe at Great Walshingham where I had unexpected EoT as I hadn't expected to see it on the menu. 

Admittedly there was only scrambled on offer but it was still EoT. It was a very good standard with the toast being particularly well buttered.

February finished with a 42 mile outing to Cannells at Reedham Ferry. It was Mrs Crusaders return to the bike after a few weeks off with various niggles. I got into big trouble as apparently the bike ride was too long (I didn't even know this was a thing). Even two trips on the ferry didn't get me off the hook.

Of our group of four then three of us had EoT while Mrs Crusader opted for a full English. It turned out to be excellent both in taste and presentation. The only criticism was the lack of butter on the toast. However this didn't stop it from leading the ratings after the first two months.

Eleven EOT have now been tasted so I'm back on track to hit my 50 target. Remember the top 6 will be revisited during December when the winner of EOT 2023 will be crowned but until then my search continues.  

Cafe	Month	Toast	Egg	Presentation	Overall taste/enjoyment	Total
Cannells	February	7	8.1	7.4	17.1	39.6
Green grocers	January	7	8.4	7	16.9	39.3
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
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
Piece of cake	February	7	7	6.5	15.2	35.7
ALDIs &sons cafe	February	7	7	6.2	15.1	35.3
Sports park	February	5	7.8	4.5	12.2	29.5

Egg on Toast of the year 2023

EoT January update

Back in 2020 I started my search for egg of toast of the year EoTotY and had had some excellent EoT on the way.

Then something called a pandemic happened, I think it got a mention on the news, and the competition got abandoned. Even at the start of 2022 there was still lockdown talk in the air but I’m now confident the search can restart.

I’m hoping to try at least 50 EoT over the year so need to do 4 or 5 a month. January started well but then ice and snow took a couple of weeks out so in the end only 4 EoT rides were possible so here are the ones I did try.

First up was the Gardeners kitchen at Green Pastures garden centre on the Lowestoft Road. This is always a top venue for a bike ride as you can wheel the bikes into the garden centre area for safety and they have one of the finest cake selections around. 

However today was all about EoT. I had with me a top team of fellow cyclists who would also be trying out the Green Pastures offering and whose opinion I planned to ignore.

The challenge here was that we had to work off the breakfast menu to acquire EoT but it finished at mid day and it was currently 11.59. I flagged down a passing waitress to highlight our dilemma and she was soon on-side and rushed our order in before confirming chef was prepared to do it even though we would be actually eating our breakfast item past the deadline. Phew.

The sour dough toast to egg ratio seemed a bit wrong and presentation was lacking but the eggs were good and overall a high scoring opening to the comp.

The next venue visited was the Green Grocers in Norwich. The original plan was a ride out to Mattishall but as it was pouring with rain I met up with my regular EoT crew at our nearest cafe. However EoTotY rules clearly state you must cycle to the cafe before rating so I still got a drenching cycling the two miles from home.

Again an excellent offering with bonus mushrooms but the sour dough was a bit on the hard side. However it did go top of a very small league.

Next I teamed up with Andrew (who is notoriously hard to please). He had been a bit poorly so we just went for a short 20 mile loop to the excellent Reepham station cafe on the Marriot’s way. Another cafe which always delivers on a cycle ride and a staple destination for me.

Here we once again we hit the breakfast menu timing issue as we were a good 20 mins past the published breakfast deadline. Also there was no poached available but chef agreed he would fry me some eggs and scramble Andrew his.

As we waited for our EoT Andrew dropped a bombshell as he said he had decided to no longer be hard to please. I reminded him that he had told me this every January since we start cycle cafe reviewing 10 years ago so I wouldn’t be holding my breath.

Once the EoT had arrived he was refreshingly hard to please about it as he doesn’t like bread out of a packet.

We both agreed the eggs were excellent but packet sliced bread is never going to win EoTotY.

The final outing in January was also with Andrew and this time to Byfords in Holt. It was during the cold snap so the roads were only just rideable. Holt has a lot of good cafe options but Byfords is the most famous and has some excellent takeaway cake.

The egg on toast came with smashed avocado on English muffin. As per this months other cafes the eggs were excellent. But the avocado was bland and the muffin rock hard and was almost impossible to cut. All in all very disappointing especially as it was twice the price of any other EOT.

So that covers month 1. Hopefully with better weather I can get a lot more EoT reviewed in February 

Cafe	Month	Toast	Egg	Presentation	Overall taste/enjoyment	Total
Green grocers	January	7	8.4	7	16.9	39.3
Gardeners kitchen	January	7.5	8.6	5.6	16.1	37.8
Byfords	January	5	8	7.9	15.8	36.7
Reepham station	January	6.1	8.3	6.7	15	36.1

 

Tour of Italy part 5 (To Naples and Pompeii)

Tour of Italy Part 5

For our final stage we would be heading to Naples. It will be the first time we would have seen the sea on the West coast and, as everyone knows, that no long bicycle ride is complete without a bit of sun, sea and sand. There would, however, be less cultural experiences until we finish with a bang at Pompeii.

Day 16

We woke up to drizzle and the forecast of heavy rain all day. We were now also on a deadline as Mrs Crusaders friend, Catherine, was going to fly out to Naples to meet us with our bike boxes. So we needed to be at the airport on Saturday morning to meet her.

With this in mind I had planned a long 65 mile ride which now looked likely to give us a soaking. We therefore put on all our waterproofs and set off at our regular 9.30 pedals down.

We soon discovered that cycling routes were in short supply on this section of the ride. We spent the first few miles on a busy road getting sprayed by passing lorries. To recover we had an early stop featuring excellent ring doughnuts.

From here it was down to the sea. The early excitement was soon lost as the area was a bit swampy and had swarms of mosquitoes and we all now how that turns out.

We decided to head back to the busy road and skip that section of coast especially as the heavy rain had not materialised and it was now rather hot.

Fortunately the next bit was much more sea sidey and what we had imagined. With the help of a nice cycle path we made it to our hotel. Not surprisingly it was our fastest average speed to date.

The hotel was having an actual Italian wedding so I enquired if I could ask the local godfather for a favour but apparently it wasn’t that sort of a wedding.

Day 17

We set off in bright sunshine by the sea. What could be nicer than fabulous cycle track and views of the beach. 

Unfortunately it only last for a few minutes before we arrived at the SP 213 which was a busy road featuring several scary tunnels. We stayed on it for the next 25 miles and although the views were stunning there was no way I would be stopping to photograph them.

After a few more miles we took a short detour for refreshments in a pretty little costal town. I was fooled by how easily we had found such a place and expected to find lots more every few kilometres along the shore. But how wrong I was.

After we finally got off the busy road we went through miles of deserted holiday accommodation, bars and mini markets as we were now at the start of the closed season. It was all pretty post apocalyptic and I wondered if we had missed something on the news. After awhile we returned to more busy roads and it was clear we hadn't. 

For our final drama the hotel we had booked, a large weeding venue, was also deserted and we wanderer round both inside and out looking for someone to book us in. It appeared we were the only guests there today which was probably why we had got a good rate. The place was very posh and setting up for a huge Italian wedding tomorrow, surely there will be a godfather at this one I can speak to.

Day 18

Although wedding prep was in full swing there was no time for any mafia based action this morning as we had a rendezvous with my bike boxes at Naples airport to make. If you recall Mrs Crusaders friend Catherine had offered to fly out to Naples with the boxes and join us for the rest of the trip in Naples and Pompeii. This was a great relief as we had no idea how we would be getting the bikes home and my suggestion of cycling them had fallen on stony ground.

We left early and it was straight onto busy roads. Whereas other areas in Italy had provided excellent cycling facilities on their stretches of Euro Velo 7 it appeared that once past Rome no one could be arsed and just stuck you on anything that wasn't a motorway. Fortunately we were now used to lorries whizzing past us giving only a few inches space. Mrs Crusader certainly would have hated this 3 weeks ago but now took it in her stride.

The last 15 miles was all built up as we approached Naples. And this was a real adrenaline thrill as we learnt the way of the Italian driver. Basically you just ignore all the other road users and do your own thing and it seems to work. If in doubt honk your horn (or ring your bell) and throw your arms in the air.

Even so progress was very slow as traffic was at a standstill for the final few miles. With heart rates at maximum we eventually made it to the hotel where we jumped in a taxi just in time to find Catherine coming out of the airport wheeling our bikes suitcases for the way home.

The afternoon was spent on a relaxing open top bus ride along the coast but culture was so far hard to find in Naples.

Day 19

There would be no more cycling on this trip but just a final search for culture and history. I was worried that Naples won’t have much to offer on this front, espically when I spotted a Neptune fountain. I had found one in Bologna, Florence and Rome which were all superb (as per the one in Rome below).

But the Naples offering looked like it had been made at an amateur pottery class.

With the success of the coastal bus tour yesterday we had the option, on the same ticket, to go on the city tour and see the famous sites. The experience was bizarre as it turned out there weren’t any and we just sat in a traffic jam for an hour and saw a lot of washing.

After a walk and pizza on the seafront (which was packed) we went on an underground tour of Naples in the old Greek water system (which became an air raid shelter in WWII). It was very interesting and rated as Naples number 1 attraction on trip advisor which wasn’t surprising as there is nothing to visit above ground.

On the plus side Naples is a lively busy city and the drivers are all quite mad. There are also a lot of vesper scooters which whole families travel on and it seems compulsory for the children not to wear helmets.

By the end of the day we quite liked Naples although there are no imminent plans to ever go back.

Day 20

For our final day we headed to the ancient city of Pompeii which had been buried by mount Vesuvius in AD 89 and rediscovered in 1768. It was mainly excavated last century into the huge area it is today (so our guide said anyway).

It had everything you would expect from a ruined Roman city; forum, baths, theatre, auditorium, streets of houses of varying sizes and cobbled streets. Our guide took us round and told us lots of interesting facts none of which I can remember. Mrs Crusader wanted to see more buried dead people and Catherine more mosaics but all in all in provided the historical cultural experience I needed to round of our trip.

In the end we cycled over 800 miles but after 3 weeks what have we learned 

1. Eurovelo 7 is about as consistent as NCR 1 in terms of the range of surfaces and uncycleable bits it provides as well as some fantastic stretches of cycle paths.

2. Virtually every bar in Italy seems to sell excellent cakes.

3. There are a lot of mosquitoes in Italy and once bitten Mrs Crusader can swell up easily

4. Nearly all big cities have an impressive Neptune fountain except at Naples where it is a bit rubbish.

5. All Italian towns and cities have a square with a compulsory big church, bell tower and fountain.

6. There is an awful lot of pizza in Italy (which was invented in Naples) and plenty of culture too (but not in Naples).

7. Don’t take Mrs Crusader on 100 mile detour to see a wonky tower as she won’t think it’s worth it.

8. Italian drivers don’t like to use their brakes but prefer to accelerate past bicycles as if they are not there, surprisingly the system seemed to work.

9.  Michelangelo is my favourite renaissance artist and also my favourite piazza although we both still think David’s hands are too big

10. Mrs Crusader bottom can only last for about a 3 week cycle tour.