Friends, Food and a Spot of Fashion

Would you go for the ordinary when you could get exceptional for just the same? I believe in seeking out the best and at great value. The meal at Hambleton Hall that I wrote about a couple of months ago is one such example. A group of truly exceptional restaurants around Rutland now offer 'lunch for less' deals which means you can get Michelin quality food for pub-grub prices. My friend Rosie and I with our other halves have been trying to make the most of these and we recently met up at The Olive Branch in Clipsham for some natter and posh nosh.

   

Rosie and Pete chose the Tapas option from their menu and  Ed & I chose from the Set Lunch. The food was top notch, mostly. Although the main meal tapas seemed less than generous, the dessert tapas more than made up for it. In  true 'me' style, I also opted for the weirdest item on the menu which in this case was cold pressed ox tongue with salad. It was a bit like kissing a cow that had just chomped on grass but I ate it all anyway.

The  beer garden at the Olive Branch was in full summer glory, I was wearing two of my favourite fashion pieces and Rosie was her usual chic self. Clearly, outdoor outfit shots were the natural follow-on from our meal. Rosie's style is classic chic with a dash of British prep. She is wearing a lovely turquoise dress from Warehouse, a denim jacket from Dorothy Perkins, My Flash Trash ring picked up during our day out at London Fashion Weekend and a pair of pretty ballet pumps from New Look. The air was slightly nippy and Rosie kept the chill off with  an embellished scarf bought from one of my favourite shopping haunts in Mumbai.

I've been meaning to get my X-Large Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch out to play for a while and this seemed a perfect occasion. It is much more practical than the regular lips clutch's and I bagged it for 70% off in a TK Maxx Flash Sale. One of my best buys in a long time. I'm also wearing a Vivienne Westwood Marghi Check Blouse via another online flash sale and a pair of old Levi's. My trusty M&S nude heels take me to work and play with equal ease.

What summertime adventures have you been up to? Ann x

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Photography by Edward Chandler

Friends, Food and a Spot of Fashion
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