A cold miserable wet day.
Two sirloin teaks, ยฃ10-60, butcher kindle sliced into strips, high quality beef stroganoff.
Zero waste store has loose spices, buy as little as need. Need a pot or jar.
Too cold to sit outside Coffee Aroma.
Archive for April, 2021
Lincoln coronavirus lockdown day one hundred and eleven
April 29, 2021Frescopod
April 28, 2021A Kickstarter project, a solution to a problem that does not exist, hyped on social media with misleading claims.
When I get unwanted posts on social media for a product I do not want, I am wary. When misleading claims are made, I suspect a scam.
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฑ
100% biodegradable & compostable waste- 10ยข – 22ยข per cup
- Great-tasting fresh coffee
- You choose ANY coffee, unlimited variety
๐ฆ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ-๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฑ๐
Non-biodegradable ัIastic- 45ยข – $1 per cup
- Mediocre โso-soโ coffee
- Limited to Pods
Let us look at these claims.
Third party capsules from reputable roasteries will be high quality great tasting coffee in aluminium or compostable capsules.
- Colonna – aluminium and compostable
- Kiss the Hippo – compostable
If buy from Nespresso or cheap off the supermarket shelves, then yes, will be poor quality undrinkable coffee.
As with all things in life, you get what you pay for.
As anyone who has ever tried, if refill pods messy and waste of time.
The preparation shown is wrong and shows an appalling level of ignorance of coffee,ย coffee ground who knows when, will be oxidised and stale, coffee not precisely weighed.
If filling a pod, need to invest in a quality grinder, digital scales. Why not then go all the way, a V60, Origami, Chemex swan-neck kettle or an Aeropress or French press.
The point is completely missed re capsules, and it is not convenience:
- quality coffee
- optimum grind
- optimum freshness
- accurate dose
- consistency
- oxygen free environment
To invest in this system, are reliant on the device, and for the pods to be filled.
Internally, Nespresso machines are the same, invest in the cheapest. Or better still, invest in an Opal One, roughly double the price of the cheapest Nespresso machine.
Market Rasen
April 26, 2021Market Rasen I have never visited before, never likely to visit again.
A visit to Seven Districts halfway between Lincoln and Market Rasen. No bus stop, driver kindly dropped me off. How then to get to Market Rasen? The nearest bus stop fifteen minutes walk away a cross roads. Out of the question a death trap.
Only alternative was to walk along a country lane back to Welton to pick up a bus.
Arrival in Market Rasen I was not aware we were at the Market Square, it seemed a good place as any to alight.
A one street town, nothing open, can walk from one end to the other in a few minutes, pubs that looked dives, but not open, the one in the square appeared to be closed until I noticed people sat out the back. The square turned into a car park subdivided with chains, ideal trip hazard. The street a carbon monoxide death trap with traffic pollution. And everywhere closed. What looked like an interesting wholefood shop, closed at 2-30. The only place open a family butcher. There was a greengrocer, closed.
The bus return to Lincoln, every hours, except the one I tried to catch not.
The A46 Lincoln to Market Rasen has one of the highest fatalities in the country, and very easy to see why.
Dips in the road, vehicles lost in the dips and not even apparent there are dips, many sharp quite literally right angle bends, and even though short sight lines idiots overtaking. If a powerful car then yes, maybe overtake, but even then of no advantage and pointless, as would simply be stuck behind the next vehicle.
At a loss why a bus stop at Snarford Crossroads as literally nothing there. From the cross roads to Seven Districts, limited sightlines, would not be seen by an oncoming vehicle until too late. Why oh why, no bus stop outside Seven Districts? It is even possible for the bus to pull off the road when heading to Market Rasen.
In 2013 Market Rasen was hailed as a success, a falling market town that had been turned around within a matter of months, and now heralded as a success story. What went wrong, as that was not what I found in 2021?
Seven Districts Coffee House
April 26, 2021A former pub located in the middle of nowhere, now a roastery and coffee shop.
Located on a busy main road, no bus stop. The nearest bus stop, a fifteen minute walk along a busy main road, a death trap.
I asked the driver would he please drop me off, which he agreed. How to get back, a problem to be solved later.
t was not possible to explore the coffee shop and roastery due to lockdown, day one hundred and eight of lockdown, but what I saw, an excellent job.
They have employed one of the best baristas in Lincoln. I was known, Hi Keith, a cappuccino?
I was offered a choice of Colombian or Ethiopian. I always let the barista choose, Colombian was recommended, so Colombian it was.
My cappuccino excellent.
The addition of a card with my cappuccino, information on the coffee, the farm, excellent idea.
What I do not like are the bags. Lincolnshire myths may be interesting but of no relevance to the coffee. Please drop Lincolnshire myths and provide information on the coffee, origin, Q grade, farm, processing, variety, altitude.
A little garden out the back, overlooking fields.
What I did no like about the garden music playing. A very bad idea, enjoy the peace and tranquillity.
The cups deserve a mention, the takeaway cups claimed to be recyclable. What does this mean?
Each of our take away cups uses what’s called ‘Earth Coating’, rather than traditional PE or PLA used on standard take away cups. This coating is made using a blend of Calcium Carbonate which fragments away from the paperboard into small particles which can be easily separated during the standard recycling process. This means they can be processed alongside standard paper recycling as if there wasn’t even a coating on them. Great news for take away cups:)
I am no fan of takeaway cups, of whatever type, the worst plastic-lined, destined for landfill or incineration, compostable may find their way to a compost heap. Far better, relax at a coffee shop with coffee served in glass or ceramic. And no way take a reusable cup to a coffee shop during a pandemic and expect it to be filled. It is to introduce an unnecessary disease vector putting staff and clientele at risk.
Recycled paper to be of value, has to be clean and dry. A dirty coffee cup?
Will they compost?
As an experiment, I have filled one with dirty water from washing up bowl, not cleaned out what remans of dried coffee. To be left overnight. Will it leak? To then be thrown on a compost heap.
How to get back? Walking along to the cross roads was unsafe, A bus unlikely to stop.
I had no choice than to walk fast along a country lane to Welton the nearest village in the hope that I would catch the next bus Lincoln to Market Rasen. I missed it. I could have caught a bus to Lincoln, but as I was half way to Market Rasen, and have never visited,ย decided to wait until one turned up.
Best option, bus to coffee shop, coffee, leisurely walk back along the lane, then catch bus to Lincoln.
A bus stop is an absolute must.
Lincoln coronavirus lockdown day one hundred and eight
April 26, 2021Sunny day, but cooler than of late.
A fleeting visit to Lincoln. Bus station to market to bus station.
Sincil Street very busy.
It was then catch bus to Market Rasen to visit Seven Districts Coffee House half way in the middle of nowhere.
Opening the box Grind
April 24, 2021Ordered a few days ago, arrived in the post today.
Subscription ยฃ9-99 for compostable coffee capsules:
- three boxes each of ten compostable capsules
- a tin
- an information booklet
Two boxes of Grind house blend, one of light roast.
The tin I have no use for. For coffee beans useless, the bestย storage is the bag they are shipped in. For capsules, would offer an extra level of protection to the little boxes shipped in, but how would know what was what. when the capsules all look the same when not in their little boxes?
The little booklet devoid of information. Learn their head roaster is a q grader, and yet no mention of q grade of the shipped coffee, no mention of origin. The norm for Grind, obtaining information about their coffee is like getting blood out of a a stone. A meaningless chart showing weeks for coffee capsules to compost (in an industrial biodegrader) compared with plastic and aluminium. Meaningless comparison, aluminium can be easily recycled. No information on what the capsules made of or where sourced from. Critical to brewing, the yield. No mention on the little boxes or in the useless information booklet. Using Opal One, I tried 26g.
The blend on a par with George St blend from Kiss the Hippo, better than the cheap rubbish on the shelves of supermarkets. The light roast not good, leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
Hot Tip: If thinking of trying Grind, and I do not recommend, order subscription for longest period between deliveries of eight weeks, then cancel on receipt of first delivery.
Grind is a start up coffee chain and it shows. I have never visited one of their coffee shops, and having tried their coffee capsules, a visit not very likely, especially when many excellent indie coffee shops in London.
Mowing the lawns
April 24, 2021I think this is the fourth time mowing the lawns this year, I have lost count.
The last time, was last Sunday, six days ago. It was like mowing the lawns in the summer, needed mowing but very little grass cut. Very dry, no rain.
Half-rotted compost slowly being transferred from old compost heap to new, grass cuttings added to both.
Red onion sets sowed. I thought I had too many, not enough. Sowed on ground cleared where last year potatoes growing.
Mid-week had the last of the potatoes dug up. Par boiled, then roast with Lincolnshire sausages. Strangely sweet, but maybe due to a little of the added butter from dairy stall at famers market last week. What is left, to eat with chicken thighs wrapped in streaky bacon. Cut potatoes into slices, par boil, add to roasting pan, red peppers, courgette, chicken thighs drip down, roast at 200C fan oven 30 minutes turn over for further thirty minutes.
Lincoln coronavirus lockdown day one hundred and five
April 23, 2021A warm sunny day. Hard frost in the morning.
I was already an hour late, then missed the bus.
Looked in the shop opposite Railway Station. Yes, have what I want. If I refill I like to be the same, or failing that, if the bottle says olive oil shampoo, it will be olive oil shampoo.
Contrast with refill shop in Bailgate, problem not the shop, a foolish immature girl posting on social medal that it is ok to refill not matching the container
Greengrocer around the back of Bailgate, has flowering plants catching the sun.
Haddock n chips from Elite on the Bail.
Little square almost deserted. A couple of weeks ago packed. A couple of weeks ago, trying to keep warm, today burning in the sun and wishing I had a hat.
The Lion and Snake packed with drunken scum., no social distancing.ย ย I learn from local businesses police had to be called the day before. As I head back down Bailgate,ย a gang of drunken yobs shouting as they walk down the street.
When is the dysfunctional local council going to act to shut this pub down and strip the landlord of licence to run a pub?
Ice cream from ice cream parlour. Sit and relax with my ice cream on Castle Hill.
Look in Tourist Information Centre.
From Imperial Teas bought one of the glassware I had spotted last Saturday. But, not very happy. On Tuesday told plenty in stock, today I am sold the display piece, hunt for a box to put it in.ย No instructions. Should I at least no have been offered a discount, the norm if sold a display piece? At least today the door open to ventilate the shop.
Bizarre service. Young man I had not seen before, tried to be helpful, shouted at from behind what to do. Like stage directions to an actor who has lost their lines. Very unprofessional.
Tuesday, I noticed on sale kopi luwak Today I double checked. No one should be selling this coffee. Unspeakable cruelty to civet cats force fed coffee beans. The young man was clearly uncomfortable when I raised the subject. No reputable businesses should be supporting this vile trade.
Top end of the High Street a few of the binge drinking bars open, drunken scum hanging around outside.
To Coffee Aroma, make it before they close. A takeaway sat outside.
Lincoln coronavirus lockdown day one hundred and two
April 20, 2021A lovely warm sunny day, though mid-afternoon it turned cold.
Bus into Lincoln very busy. In the town, or at least Sincil Street, not as busy as last week. I did not venture into the High Street until late afternoon.
Lakeland, as always, empty. Two cappuccino cups on display, but not on sale anywhere. Lady found me a box, four cappuccino cups, ยฃ10, one cup missing, two pounds knocked off. Er, should that not be more than two pounds knocked off?
I picked up Eden compostable coffee pods, Tried later. Disgusting, unpleasant undrinkable coffee.
I have a haircut from the hairdresser that has relocated from Sincil Street. Last week impossible, today walk in. Boss leaves as I arrive. I am told busy in the morning. No so good, tiny space, no ventilation. Door should remain open.
Back way up Steep Hill.
Looked in Imperial Teas, dropped off three varieties of green coffee beans from Cameroon. Who I wished to see only there on Monday.
Later, either piss poor service or blatant racism at The Lion and Snake.
I would have had fish n chips from, Elite on the Bail, but turned too cool to sit on the little square.
A sausage roll from Redhill Farm shop.
Looked back in Imperial Teas. Picked up a French Press, a bar of chocolate. I could not believe what I was seeing, Panama Geisha from the Esmeralda Estate. Could I resist? Er, no. ยฃ23 for 125g.
In 2005, a Geisha lot won the Best of Panama competition. The lot was grown by the Peterson Family at Finca Esmeralda. The lot at the time sold for a record-setting $350 per pound, ie ยฃ590 a kilo. [see The Story ofย Geisha]
Top end of town, chatted with three Vietnamese girls, day out from Nottingham where they are studying. They walk with me to Coffee Aroma, but not possible to sit outside, all tables taken. I grab a takeaway. They head off for the station.
I had earlier told them of places to eat, where to find coffee and chocolate in Nottingham. Also Lincoln.
As they left they thanked me for the conversation. They said no one stops and talks to them. A very sad refection of our society.
I just make bus. Actually a different bus, no longer PC Coaches, a brand new bus, a different bus company.
The Lion and Snake
April 20, 2021Piss poor service or racist pub?
The Lion and Snake a pub with appalling reputation, Saturday afternoon rowdy drunks, coronavirus super spreader, at night it gets worse, urinating up the wall, brawls in the street.
Not somewhere I would wish to frequent.
A friend asked me to join her. She must have been there about twenty minutes. I waited for what must have been a further twenty minutes, no one came to our table, staff walked by ignoring us.
She did not have a drink. I asked had no one taken her order? She said yes. How long to serve a drink? She tried to catch attention of staff, they ignored her.
I said, I do not tolerate this treatment, we should walk out. Or at least go to the pub next door, The Prince of Wales, where are not treated in this way.
She was reluctant to leave and decided to stay, I left.
I would add, my friend is Black.
Which leaves my original question, piss-poor service or racist pub? She was the only Black person sat in the grounds of the pub. No one else was having these problem of piss poor service.
The local licencing authority should have closed this pub last year, stripped landlord of licence.
Keithpp's Blog 