The white goshawk

Its talons on the owner's protective leather glove

 We very rarely go to a pub and even more rarely have lunch in one. However, we were staying with friends this last weekend near Derby. So after a walk close to Chatsworth House, we went to the Three Stags’ Heads near Wardlow Mires in the Peak District. See:

(http://www.geofffullerpottery.co.uk/) and http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/stags.html

 Three Stags' Heads

This small pub, just two little rooms but both with welcoming log fires, is run by Geoff and Pat Fuller and is open on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the week they are potters.

First decision was what to drink. The beers, all on hand pump, come from the Abbeydale Brewery in Sheffield. Half of our group chose Absolution, a pale  beer with an abv of 5.3%. The rest of went for the house beer – Black Lurcher – a dark beer as its name suggests with a challenging abv of 8.0%. A notice on the hand pump warns that ‘its bite is worse than its bark’. Certainly this is a beer to be sipped rather than gulped, especially if like me, you’ve gone for a pint rather than a half. Black Lurcher is rich, full flavoured with liquorice notes.

The young barman (who insisted on calling me chook) explained that Black Lurcher is brewed specially for Geoff Fuller and it is delivered in 70 pint barrels, which these days lasts about two weeks. They had just opened a new barrel meaning that the beer would be even better with a bit more time in barrel and would be at its best in about a week or so.

House beer – its bite is worse than its bark

A pint of Black Lurcher

What happens if you ask for draught lager

The five of us all chose the lemon partridge and it was a good job that we ordered quickly, as there were only six portions available and he always needs to save one portion for a vegetarian who was very partial to game!  

The pub door opened and a large woman, with hennaed hair and complaining loudly about the sudden change in the weather entered “A pint of breakfast, please.” The barman served her a pint of Absolution in a special pottery tankard – clearly a regular. She was camping nearby. “It was dry when I started to put my boots on but by the time I’d finished it was pouring.” She had a very strong Derbyshire accent as did almost everyone in the bar-room and most were larger than life characters. She went onto explain to us that she was camping nearby in a car.  

Our lemon partridge was delicious – served with mashed swede, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts and green beans. Multiple vegetables are a feature of traditional British cuisine. Often grossly over-cooked these on our plates were perfect.  

Looking up from my plate I found myself looking at a white goshawk on the next table staring at me. Fortunately it was tethered to the table leg, although it showed no sign of wanting to move. This magnificent bird appeared perfectly happy to sit, with occasional yawns, and survey the pub surrounded by the group of men, who were accompanying it on their hunting expedition. 

Tickling the bird

Bread and butter pudding is a favourite of mine. It’s a traditional English pudding designed to use up stale bread. We ordered two portions. Again it was excellent as was the accompanying custard (crème anglaise) and plenty for the five of us.

Bread and butter pudding with custard

Our meal and drinks cost us £75  (87€) in total. The entertainment came at no additional cost.  

Cosy small pub with fire, old wooden tables and a flagstone floor

Jim

2010 Cos d'Estournel – 12 bottles £2180 ex-cellars

As the interminable 2010 en primeur campaign claws to an exhausted close with the First Growths finally deigning to start releasing their prices, wine investment is once more back in the news.  

Firstly there is the speculation that as the 2010 en primeur campaign is not going as well as the 2009 campaign that some consumers are finally saying that enough is enough – “I don’t need these wines: and I can get better value elsewhere.” I have long since decided this is the case. I see that the 2010 Cos d’Estournel, which came out yesterday, can be had from Farr Vintners, the UK’s leading fine wine merchants for £2180 a case ex cellars (so duty and vat to pay before you can drink it). Instead I can buy the 2009 Le Grand Clos Saumur-Champigny from Château de Villeneuve for 18€ including taxes from the domaine. Pas photo! I can purchase 135 bottles of Jean-Pierre Chevallier’s excellent 09 Grand Clos for just 12 Cos – even less once you add tax! 

2009 Grand Clos, Saumur-Champigny, Château de Villeneuve@£193 per case 

Is the relatively slow sales of 2010 a sign that the bubble for top Bordeaux is finally about to burst? Who knows but plenty will care having piled into wine investment over the past few years.

The final stages of the en primeur campaign coincides with two drinks investments trials. Firstly Paul Craven is being tried on charges of fraudulent trading in connection with the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company, which was set up in July 2006 and closed in June 2008. They specialised in selling en primeur, especially 2005, although it is alleged that the company neglected to buy any wine ordered. Instead Craven spent the money on frequent holidays, a succession of expensive cars including a Golf, a Range Rover, a Porsche and a BMW, a flat and designer watches. 

The second case involves a Robin Grove, who was a director of Vintage Hallmark Ltd and then Vintage Hallmark plc. He faces five counts including two of fraudulent trading. Vintage Hallmark persuaded American doctors to invest in a variety of alcoholic drinks and then to swop their investments for shares. The company went bust in January 2003 owing £77 million. The US medical community does appear to be remarkably naïve and credulous, which makes them a favourite target for scams. Doubtless some of them having more money than they know what to do with makes them easy meat.     

It is good to see the UK authorities pursuing alleged fraudsters more rigorously. For too long there has been a belief that there are real no victims in white-collar fraud. Losing your live saving to some boiler room scam has similar long-term consequences to being mugged in the street.

While I’m talking of ‘fraudulent trading’ what are the chances, I wonder, that all of the 2008 en primeurs ordered through 1855 will have been delivered by the end of this month?