The Inn, West End near Guildford Surrey

I had one of those exciting re-meets yesterday.  I met up with an old University chum, who I hadn’t seen since 1987!  Yes, Christmas cards and occasional e-mails.  Nothing else.

We had decided on this pub, being equidistant (and believe it or not you can go to web-sites key in postcodes and it will tel you what is in the middle – and what pubs or restaurants are nearby.

I got there early (overestimating the distance) and Steve arrived on time.  The last time we had said goodbye was at a reunion of the old crew from Newcastle.  What was so good was it was as if the intervening period had not happened.

The team at The Inn

We were meeting up to talk about my cookery adventures and Steve’s ambitions and ideas for his own adventure in similar areas.  There was a bit of catch up of course (how can his eldest daughter be 30.  That just isn’t right!).

We ordered from the one page bar menu – extensive enough, and very varied to cater for all appetites.  We chose a quite sumptuous Kedgeree, with an exquisitely just cooked poached egg on top.  The kedgeree was quite risotto in wetness, and the curry-ness was amplified with quite a lot of white pepper – which no-one uses since we all got black pepper grinders!  This is sad, I think because the flavour is deeper and more all-encompassing – and hotter.  It kept us quiet and happy, anyway, and was washed down well with something of a macrobiotic nature for Steve (Luscombes fruit juice from Devon) and some Aspall’s Suffolk cider for me.

What a great catch up – and it will be repeated now we have re-made acquaintance.  And what a splendid place to meet.  The Inn was packed on a January Wednesday lunchtime – which is no mean feat.  The place and the staff patently love food.  This won’t be the last time I visit!  They even got excited when the saw my “Can Men Cook?” business card – which always goes down well with me!