On Thursday I was slightly out of my comfort zone, braving a pub opening all by myself. It wasn’t by choice as my friend Laura was suppost to come with me, but was ill and couldn’t make it. But since I wanted to go, I thought I can go on my own, hang out for a bit and leave early. Great plan.
But I didn’t stick to it. After my name was crossed off the guest list and I entered the pub I realised it was huge. After a tour around the room with my champagne glass in hand, two girls started talking to me, and suddenly I met lots of nice people. So nice in fact that we stayed really late, but we had so much fun I didn’t want to go home.
The Jugged Hare, was a much larger pub than I first anticipated, but it was still cosy inside. The bar counter was close to the entrance door, further in you had the kitchen to your left and an empty space where I expect the restaurant tables to be, and even further in at the back there were a few booths to sit in.The kitchen looked amazing with lots of copperware and Le Creuset dishes and a rotisserie cabinet with a suckling big being roasted. Later when it was served I luckily got the last bun and the last crackling. Delicious!
Apart from a few tables with drinks and the canapées that came out of the kitchen most of the action was on the lower ground floor where there you could taste different wines and cheeses. There wasn’t much information about the different cheeses and the man working there was really busy as everyone would flock around him and demand cheese. We definitely tried some lovely cheeses, but unfortunately I don’t know what they’re called.
The canapées I managed to get my hands on were all from the regular menu, but made bite sized. The wild garlic, turnip and leek broth was lovely and totally in season with the wild garlic. The little crab and crab mayo canapé on toast was also really nice and to my surprise I enjoyed the black pudding croquettes too.
Apsrt form the food and wine I really enjoyed meeting fellow foodies. The girl who talked to me studies at the Cordon Bleu, which I am mighty jealous of, and I also bumped into the well-known blogger The London Foodie which was a pleasure.
Although most people left around 10pm our group stayed on and the tweed clad waiters were happy to serve us more wine. When we actually decided to leave the pub was emptying quite quickly and on the way out we got a goody bag each. It was a nice touch since it contained both the menu, a recipe for Jugged Hare, the dish the pub is named after, a Jugged Hare beer and a apple chutney for pork.
The whole event seemed very professional and thought through, and I hope the service will be just as good once the pub is opening its doors properly today.
Scandelights 