What Lies Beneath

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

I have been back in Nottingham to introduce a friend of mine to this city.

They've never visited before so I'm excited to show them the sights of Snotengaham as it was known in Anglo-Saxon times. It came from a chieftain whose name was derived from snottenga - meaning caves. Nottingham is indeed a city of sandstone caves where locals would hide bounty. They also provided cover for trades like tanning, (making leather is an acrid affair apparently). Discover more here ..

https://www.nationaljusticemuseum.org.uk/cityofcaves

After a really interesting & enlightening guided walk through the city on a sunny Saturday morning, thoughts turned to food. The evening venue was Perkins in the lovely village of Plumtree. A former railway station now restored to welcome folk once again. 

https://www.perkinsbarbistro.co.uk/about  

I've been here before & enjoyed the fayre. No different this time with Tomato & Mozzarella Salad, Salt Cod Croquettes, Roast Lamb with Dauphinoise Potatoes & Chicken Suprême with Fondant Potato being the choices on our table.

For me though the highlight was Cleaver and Wake for Sunday lunch.

https://www.cleaverandwake.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CW-A4-Sunday-Lunch-25_007.pdf

Roast Beef & Roast Lamb landed on the table after a delicious, summery light starter of Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Goats Curd, Basil Sorbet, Rye Cracker & Black Olive Tapenade. Here's what arrived with the Sunday roast plates .. 

Roast Cornish Leg of Lamb .. Dry-Aged Rump of Beef

All served with Roast Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding & Traditional Gravy.

A lovely glass or two of a French 2022 Pinot Noir Coeur De Mont from Dordogne & all was well in Nottingham.

There was a conversation with Lost Property at Nottingham Railway Station on the return journey. Oh, & a polite request for the guard not to blow his whistle until my phone had been retrieved from said Lost Property. I'll save that tale for another day.

AMM