The Oak Newsletter March 2010
Well the rain seems to be back with a vengeance this week in South Brent - hopefully the sun of last week will be back soon!
We got away for a short break in the Cotswold at the end of February and woke on our first morning to 2 inches of snow! (There was none down here at the time - fortunately didn't last long only two days of the three day break!) The pub was left in the capable hands of Andrew's father, Tony with our son Aden and Head Chef Simon ensuring it all ran smoothly in our absence.
We are nearly through March and Easter will soon be upon us. Where is the year going?
Music Quiz
This ever popular monthly event is on this Saturday from 9pm in the bar. Entry is only £1 per person with the money divided equally between our winners, the BALD Q and local charities. Everyone has the chance of being picked for the BALD Q which now stands at £100 - worth having indeed.
Ales on the bar
Our two resident local ales, Teignworthy Reel ale (4%) and Dartmoor Jail Ale (4.8%) are still proving to be popular. Through January, February and March (so far!)we have only had one other ale as it has been rather quiet. We reduce our ales on offer through the quieter periods to ensure quality remains high - I know of too many pubs who think quantity is more important - perhaps that's why they are not in the Good Beer Guide!
Our current guest ale is a Cornish stout from Skinners - Pennycomequick which we had several casks of for St Patricks Day as we don't stock draught Guinness (due to lack of demand) and this has proved very popular. We keep looking for a good local "real" stout to offer all year but they either fail to agree with our customers palates or are only available occasionally.
In the cellar we have Skinners Heligan Honey, Keltik's Golden Lance, Bays Breaker, Hunters Half Bore (newly tweaked recipe) and Dartmoor's new brew legend waiting to put in an appearance. We are also looking at bringing brews from the newer brewers in Devon. When our wholesaler has ales from around the country we will put some of them on too but most of our ales will be from the West Country.
Andrew and I travelled to Kent at the end of last year and stayed in a pub that was in the Good Beer Guide. The local beer was good and the guest ale was Hopback Summer Lightning (a superb ale but we had one sitting in our cellar and due to go on the bar on our return!) but it hadn't travelled well - somewhere along the line it hadn't been looked after which was a shame as anyone trying it in Kent wouldn't have been impressed.
One of our customers loves Heligan Honey and although he grudgingly says when we have it on it's ok (he is the self ordained President of our Grumpy Old Mans Club so this is praise indeed) however he stills reckons its tastes best in Cornwall. I reckon it's because he is on holiday when he drinks it there!! I do agree that some ales taste better in their own back yard which is why we tend to keep to ours.
Beer Festival
Our beer festival date has changed from St Georges day as the Tuckers Malting Beer Festival is on that weekend - let us know if you are interested in joining a coach trip there as we will no doubt have a few people who want to go along. Over 240 ales - we can't compete with that so we will just go and join them! We will be putting on some traditional English fare over St George's weekend with an extended ale range just not as many as we were originally planning.
Oak Apple Day (or Royal Oak Day as it was also called!) 29th May
I pulled the following information off the net to let you know more about it - we aim to celebrate this and will let you know more next month. A beer festival is definitely included....and maybe some nettles (read on to see why)!
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Royal Oak Day |
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The year 2010 marks the 350th Anniversary of Royal Oak Apple Day Royal Oak Day (Oak Apple Day) was a public holiday celebrated in England on 29 May to commemorate the restoration of the English monarchy, in May 1660. "Parliament had ordered the 29th of May, the King's birthday, to be forever kept as a day of thanksgiving for our redemption from tyranny and the King's return to his Government, he returning to London that day." Commonwealth of England The English Civil War 1642-1649 was fought between the royalist forces loyal to King Charles I and the parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell. The Royalist were defeated at the Battle of Naseby in 1645 and Charles I was caught and executed on 30 January 1649. Cromwell declared Britain a republic 'The Commonwealth' and went on to become it's Lord Protector. Following his death in 1658 Cromwell was succeeded briefly by his son Richard before the monarchy was restored and Charles II became king on 29 May 1660. How was Oak Apple Day marked?
"Pinch-Bum-Day" - a pinch on the bottom "Nettle Day" - whipping with nettles "The wise boy wore his oak leaves, armed himselves (sic) with a stinging nettle and carried a few dock leaves for first aid just in case" In some areas it was necessary to wear the oak sprig only until noon; after that one was safe In the 1890s many railway engines were decorated with boughs of oak on 29 May. Why was the Oak chosen to commemorate the return of the monarchy? It is said that King Charles' life was saved after the battle of Worcester in 1651, when he escaped from the Roundhead army by hiding in an oak tree in the grounds of Boscobel House in Staffordshire. How is Oak Apple Day celebrated today? Although the public holiday was abolished in 1859, Oak Apple Day continues to be celebrated in parts of England today. |
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We intend using these to remind anyone about events in this newsletter, what ales are on the bar and anything happening on a day to day basis.
Easter Sunday 4th April 2010
We have come up with a similar menu to Mothers Day as this worked so well.
We are offering two courses for £11.95 and three courses for £14.95.
If you are thinking of coming to us on this day please book as we were virtually full on Mother's Day with all tables in the dining room, and most tables in Charlies and the bar taken.
Special Offers
We have been working hard at the Oak to come up with some deals to interest our customers - past, present and future. I have listed them below but please ring or email if you have any questions.
Loyalty Scheme: Every time you dine with us we will stamp your loyalty card. Once you have collected 6 stamps you can redeem your card for a free bottle of shiraz or chenin blanc with your next meal.
Devonshire Discount: We always try to use local produce (or at least West Country) in our menu however we intend highlighting some of the dishes on the menu whose main ingredients are sourced within Devon. Choose a 2 or 3 course meal from the Devonshire Dishes and we will discount £2.00 from your bill.
Early Diner Offer: Book your table between 6.00 pm and 7.00 pm and we will give you a free glass of shiraz or chenin blanc with your meal (or equivalent drink). This offer only applies to pre-booked tables who are sat and have ordered their meal before 7.00 pm.
Dish of the Day: Every day there will be a selected dish which will be offered at a bargain basement price!
Monday Madness: Dine with us on a Monday night (main course) and we will give you a free dessert.
Tuesday Steak Deal: Two 6oz aged West Country rump steaks and a bottle of shiraz or chenin blanc for just £20.00
Free Snacks: We will be providing free nibbles between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm for people having a drink in the bar.
Gift Vouchers: Gift vouchers are now available for as much or as little as you want. Please speak to Andrew or Carol and we will organise your personalised voucher for you.
Thursday Night Discount Voucher: Print out the discount voucher on our website and bring it with you on a Thursday Night and we will give you 10% off your food bill.
Please note that the terms and conditions of these offers are available on our website, www.oakonline.net
NEW! Roast dinner platters
We have introduced these for parties of 4 or more. We cook a joint of your choosing and this is served up for you to carve with various roast vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and parsnips together with a large bowl(s) of vegetables and plenty of gravy. Originally planned for Sundays we can in fact do them at anytime BUT we must have 48 hours notice to order the correct joint from our local supplier.
I am sure you are fed up with reading about us now so I will stop now and send another newsletter next month!
Hope to see you soon.
Andrew and Carol
