A cross between a greasy spoon cafe and a staff canteen, in other words grim, located within Elphiclk depat stor
— to be continued —
Archive for September, 2019
Heidi
September 28, 2019Afternoon in Farnham
September 28, 2019I had hoped to be out and back before the heavy rain arrived.
I arrived later than I would wish. It wa sthe find somwhere to eats, not easy at the nbst of times.
Gail’s no food, Krema clsoed at four, Coffee Dime kitchen closed.
I then thought try Heidi. A cross between a graesy spoon cafe and a staff canteen within Elphick departemnt store in other woirsd gtim.
They have acqaured two of the coffee shops from banrupt Caracoli and kept the name, which bodes ill for Caralloi, on the other hand mzbe a reverse takeawa oabd Caracoli in=mproves Heide.
Sadly not the latter, food not ao a par with Caracoli and the coffee LavAzza.
Krema is the only lace will get a decent coffee.
Through Liion and Lamb Courtyard to Waitrose. Poot stock levels, but at keast had what I wanted.
I was goung ti miss a bus if a visted Wairose.
— to be continued —
Afternoon in Guildford
September 27, 2019Bus, then train to Guildford.
Morning sunny, but not for long. Not raining, then a downpour the like of which I have rarely seen, torrential rain I could not even cross the road to catch the bus.
A couple of hours late into Guildford.
I was pleased to see top fruit and vegetable stall on the North Street market using compostable boxes for some of their produce.
This is a standard Guildford must enforce not only for this market, but also their farmers market.
If stalls are not plastic free, they do not get a pitch, as simple as that.
Honey crunch chicken in Bamboo Shoots. No brown rice, no rice. I settled for rice noodles.
To library, climb to top floor to briefly use computers, lift out of action.
Motorcycle delivery serfs are still riding through Tunsgate a pedestrianised street.
Cappuccino in Krema. They need to change from Horsham Workhouse. I suggest Brazil Columbia blend from DT roaster, or whatever Caravan had as espresso blend at Brighton Coffee Festival or the Origin I had last week at Marmadukes.
Cut through Tunsgate Quarter zombie shopping centre. As always empty
Looked in M&S. Did not stop. Usual piss-poor service, tills not manned.
Zero fat Greek yogurt an oxymoron.
Cappuccino in Harris + Hoole. Would have been perfect but for the beans.
— to be continued —
Lunch and cappuccino Caracoli Alresford
September 25, 2019After a wander around Alresford and missing the next bus to Winchester, I decided to take lunch and a coffee in Caracoli.
Caracoli was a small chain of half a dozen coffee shops. It came as little surprise when they went bust. Poor quality coffee and did not know what they were, a coffee shop or a deli. Now only two coffee shops, Alresford and Haslemere. Guildford closed, Farnham a greasy spoon cafe serving coffee.
Lunch was fine, the coffee ok, they need to source better quality coffee. But the best coffee in Alresdford, and would be better if sourced quality coffee beans.
I have suggested Coffee Gems, DT Roastery as two excellent coffee roasteries from which to source their coffee beans.
A few doors up the street a strange setup, DIY Coffee. Insult customers with Cupsmith coffee served from a coffee machine. No surprise empty.
Coffee #1, undrinkable coffee, poor service, poor quality food. A chain of masquerading as independent, owned by Caffe Nero.
Alresford
September 25, 2019Alresford a small Georgian market town of Georgian town houses. I wandered down as far as Old Alresford Pond.
No time to catch next bus, stayed at Caracoli for lunch and a coffee.
Caracoli was a small chain of half a dozen coffee shops. It came as little surprise when they went bust. Poor quality coffee and did not know what they were, a coffee shop or a deli. Now only two coffee shops, Alresford and Haslemere. Guildford closed, Farnham a greasy spoon cafe serving coffee.
Lunch was fine, the coffee ok, they need to source better quality coffee. But the best coffee in Alresdford, and would be better if sourced quality coffee beans.
A few doors up the street a strange setup, DIY Coffee. Insult customers with Cupsmith coffee served from a coffee machine. No surprise empty.
Coffee #1, undrinkable coffee, poor service, poor quality food. A chain of masquerading as independent, owned by Caffe Nero.
Afternoon in Winchester
September 25, 2019I set off earlier than usual, I would have arrived lunchtime. As I was early, I alighted at Alresford to explore Alresford and stayed and had lunch and a coffee at Carocoli.
Day started off sunny, once early morning rain had cleared. Dark clouds from Alton, then heavy torrential rain, then sunny at Alresford.
Bus set off late from Alton, driver stood outside bus having a phone conversation. He then drove far too fast through the torrential rain to make up lost time.
Rain ceased as Alresford reached.
Alresford a small Georgian market town of Georgian town houses. I wandered down as far as Old Alresford Pond.
No time to catch next bus, stayed at Caracoli for lunch and a coffee.
Caracoli was a small chain of half a dozen coffee shops. It came as little surprise when they went bust. Poor quality coffee and did not know what they were, a coffee shop or a deli. Now only two coffee shops, Alresford and Haslemere. Guildford closed, Farnham a greasy spoon cafe serving coffee.
Lunch was fine, the coffee ok, they need to source better quality coffee. But the best coffee in Alresdford, and would be better if sourced quality coffee beans.
A few doors up the street a strange setup, DIY Coffee. Insult customers with Cupsmith coffee served from a coffee machine. No surprise empty.
Coffee #1, undrinkable coffee, poor service, poor quality food. A chain of masquerading as independent, owned by Caffe Nero.
I would normally alight off the bus, walk down the hill into Winchester. I alighted off the bus but instead of walking down the hill I headed to an industrial estate at Winnall to DT Roastery. No one there I knew, a wasted journey.
Head back down into Winchester down an unpleasant busy polluted road, then back streets along the River Itchen into Winchester.
River Itchen flowing very fast.
Excellent coffee at The Square. Not so the cake.
Time for a walk in the gathering dusk, around the back streets and along the River Itchen to catch the bus to Alton.
The bee on Winchester Cathedral to herald Green Hampshire Harvest Weekend .
No food left at Alton Station Cafe, no sign of any bikers.
— to be continued —
Appalling treatment of elderly passenger by Nepalese bus driver
September 24, 20191800 No 1 Stagecoach Gold bus Aldershot to Camberly via Farnborough.
The bus was late leaving, it had arrived a few minutes before, due to driver late leaving.
This happens all the time, drivers do not arrive at the bus until this bus is due to leave.
As the bus passed through North Camp into south Farnborough, an elderly man in his 90s asked the Nepalese driver where to alight from the bus. He was nearly knocked off his feet due to the bad eratic driving.
Instead of helping the man the driver turned very nasty and started shouting at the elderly passenger.
The man clearly distreseed became confused.
When he got off the bus, and as the bus drove off, man nearly toppled over on to the bus.
The elderly passenger alighted at Albert Road at around 1825, one stop before stop for Franborough Tech.
I alighted a few stops later at Queensmead South. As I was alighting, I spoke with the driver and said I was not happy with his treatment of an elderly man.
The driver then became very aggressive, started shouting at myself, that it was none of my business, shouted at me to get off his bus.
A young lady spoke to me when she got off the bus. She said it was appalling behaviour by the driver.
This is not acceptable behaviour by the driver, either towards the elderly passenger or to myself. He should be fired.
Pick a Bap Korean restaurant
September 24, 2019Pick a Bap Korean restaurant, generous portion size, mainly takeaway but there are tables for eating in.
My dish was slightly aromatic.
The use of plastic, both for serving and for utensils is not good.
Where I sat was dirty and had not been cleaned.
The food is promoted as healthy. Meat or poultry with rice is not healthy. White rice, as with any processed carbohydrates, is not healthy.
They are though new, only been open a few weeks and are learning.
I have suggested they must make water available, either on demand, or a jug or jar of water.
Plastic they have got to have a rethink, use of plastic is not acceptable.
Dishes for eating in, some form of compostable container for takeaway.
An idea from an Indian takeaway, metal containers which buy from the restaurant, cf reusable coffee cups, have proved to be popular. Bring back, and either refill, or exchange for new clean container.
They were were willing to listen and improve, do not wish to be seen as bad for the environment.
St Modwen, who have already done an excellent job destroying Farnborough, are doing their best to destroy the evening economy by locking the main entrance to the Kingsmead shopping centre.
Busy lunchtime, mainly the lunchtime rush, then not busy. At night empty.
I have suggested at night, what food is left, sell at reduced price or give away.
Not as good as either the Indonesian street food restaurant in Aldershot or Bamboo Shoots in Guildford, but a marked improvement on the very low quality of food in Farnborough.
Jericho Coffee Traders
September 23, 2019When a coffee shop slags off another coffee shop, we know there is something wrong.
On a visit to Oxford I was heading to Colombia Coffee Roasters in the Oxford Covered Market only to my annoyance I found closed.
I have passed by Jericho Coffee Traders in the past, but never found open. With Colombia Coffee Roasters not open, it afforded the opportunity to try.
I have had mixed reports on Jericho Coffee Traders, none of which were favourable. Time to see for myself.
An interesting building on the outside, quite small on the inside, roast their own coffee.
My cappuccino was ok, not great, nothing to go out of my way for, not on a par with the best coffee shops in Oxford.
I was somewhat surprised to be told Colombia Coffee Roasters do not know how to roast coffee. This I queried as I know not to be true. Not my experience nor that of anyone I know who knows good coffee. They roast excellent coffee.
My only criticism of Colombia Coffee Roasters is their failure to note roast date on their bags of coffee.
I queried, asked to explain the reasoning.
I was then fed bullshit. It was my opinion, it was their opinion. Lacked any understanding coffee.
Then followed by a diatribe of how bad Colombia Coffee Roasters treat their staff. Not my experience, indeed it has been quite the opposite.
–
Autumn Equinox in Oxford
September 23, 2019I knew heavy rain was due, would arrive mid-afternoon, but hoped it may arrive later.
Raining in the morning as I walked to the station, train to Oxford, then Reading.
Sun came out and it turned warm.
I popped into Reading as neglected to bring a cable to connect power bank to phone.
Mobile phone shop offered me a cable in a box for over six pounds. I said no, do you not have ones loose? He sold me one for three pounds, all of six inches long. But needs must.
Walking along Oxford Canal I was accosted by a man and asked to do a survey. Begagrs belief walking along a canal and asked to do a survey.
As with all surveys, meaningless questions, mainly what I thought of the canal, but of what relevance age, income etc. A trawl for information? And at what cost to the Canal Trust?
But when I rasied no information on the canal en route, no contacts deatisl, no website, twitter account, website, he was not intetsted, nor when I rasied a major pollution incident on a recent visit. At the very elast would have expected to have taken notes.
I did wonder would I find 101 Coffee Espross Bar in Jerich open as previosul on a Monday closed, due to fetivals.
Was open but not their suual baartsas.
Then Braca Food for lunch, their deli reasonable palce to eat.
Then on to Café Society. Still no sign of tghei lastet maagzimne. Add as in thes ummer told out soon.
Had a cappuccino.
Then on to Columbian Coffee Rpasters. Very annoyed to find closed, closed for traing.
As a result, popped in Jericho Coffee TradersJericho Coffee Traders. Coffee ok not great. Not on a par with the best coffee shops. All the more surprising they claimed Colombia Coffee Roaster do not know how to roast coffee. I know this not to be true. When challenged on this, fed bullshit.
— to be continued —
Keithpp's Blog 