Satcap

Saturday is Caption Day – 16th January 2016

Good Morning!

Welcome to Saturday is Caption Day #satcap.

If you have not taken part before please come and join in. Simply find a funny / cheeky / captionable photo and upload it to your blog with a sentence or three about it. Then link it up with me below and visit the other people who link up and have a giggle as you come up with some humourous captions!

Last weekend we went out to lunch at our local Beefeater and Isaac insisted on eating the lemon and lime slices from our drinks.

Can you caption this?

Satcap

SatCap

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Elation

Time to get Tough!

Regular readers will know that we have had some issues with Isaac and his behaviour at school and I am so grateful to all his … Read more

The Somerford

Somerford Beefeater has re-opened its doors with a brand new look!

Somerford Beefeater has re-opened its doors with a brand new look and we were invited down to check out the designer interior and mouthwatering menu.

We last visited in September and didn’t think it needed a new look, however the restaurant has undergone a huge makeover in just eight days, with a fresh look inside and out creating a light, welcoming environment and with booth seating for large groups inside, a comfortable bar area and a modern design.

The updated menu is packed full of favourites for the whole family, including succulent steaks, BeefPasties, Mega Ribs and Oven-Baked Seabass. You will also find plenty of classics including Beer-Battered Cod & Chips and the Beefeater Mixed Grill, each prepared with care and presented with flare. And if these weren’t enough, Beefeater is now offering unlimited skinny or triple cooked chips with selected main meals.

The new menu has even created new roles, and all staff have undergone expert steak and wine training. Despite the restaurant’s new image, familiar friendly staff members remain ready to welcome everyone through the doors, ensuring that guest’s every need is met.

Kelly Redmond, General Manager of Somerford Beefeater said: “All these great changes make Beefeater even more inviting and we’re proud to reopen our doors. We have spent a lot of time working on the presentation of the new look to give our guests the wow factor. We are confident our guests will enjoy the changes as much as we do and friends and families can make the most of their time here. It’s still their Beefeater – but with a modern twist.

Beefeater is all about affordable quality and has great value always-on offers, catering for all manner of tastes. Steak and chips start from just £10.99, Daytime Menu dishes start from £4.99 Monday – Saturday and with kid’s eating free breakfast every day, a visit to Beefeater won’t break the bank either.

We visited last Sunday and saw some of the changes as we pulled up. Gone is the old porch and instead a large, modern wooden plaque features outside with the same Somerford carved into it.

The Somerford

The most significant changes I saw inside was to the bar area and the entrance where we were greeted and shown to our table in the large extension which now has comfy booths to sit in with lots of cow themed artwork to admire.

The Somerford

As it was a Sunday, Kian, Hubby and I all ordered from their Sunday Roast menu. Hubby and I went for Lamb which was perfectly cooked and came with lots of fresh vegetables and Kian went for the chicken which was also delicious. Isaac, Eliza and Sebby chose from the children’s menu and because they can be fussy were able to pick and choose what sides they wanted with their main meals.

The Somerford

I have to admit that as it was a Sunday it was fairly busy and the service was not as good as it had been on our last visit, but the meals arrived within 20 minutes of ordering them. We did have to flag the waiter down to clear the table and order our desserts, but once they had been ordered they did arrive within 10 minutes.

The Somerford

All in all we loved the new look of The Somerford Beefeater and will definately return. The only think that would have improved our visit was to have been served by Lyn but I think she must have had a much-needed day off as we didn’t see her.

If you are visiting your local Beefeater it is worth checking their website or app before you visit as we received a BOGOF voucher of the main meals which took our bill down from £76 to £65. That was for two courses and drinks for 3 adults and 3 children which is very reasonable.

Disclaimer: We were given a £50 gift voucher towards our meal for the purposes of a review.

Rock Up

Climbing High at Rock Up Whiteley

My kids adore being outside in the fresh air, but the weather has been so miserable of late that I have been desperately searching for things for them to do. Exercise is brilliant for keeping the kids calm and happy, so anything that can bring the outdoors inside sounds good to me.

Rock Up, Whiteley, is an indoor climbing centre which has been developed to entertain the whole family, no matter what age or ability and we headed there on Saturday to try our hand at climbing some pretty challenging walls.

The best bit about Rock Up is that it really does cater for all ages, as Sebastian (2) and Eliza (4) could charge around the soft play area whilst Hubby, Isaac and Kian got to attempt 26 climbing walls.

Eliza, Sebastian and I hit the Play Area as soon as we arrived whilst the boys headed up stairs for a safety briefing. The play frame is arranged over four levels with lots for children to explore, including slides, swings, a ball pool and obstacles to climb over and crawl under. I loved that they had included climbing holds by the steps so older children could emulate their older siblings who were doing the walls. There was even a baby section for even the tiniest of visitors.

Rock Up and Play

Rock Up is an indoor climbing adventure centre that uses auto belay devices which take up the slack as you climb. There are moving parts on the walls, speed climbs, inflatable climbs and a leap of faith to challenge even the most experienced climbers and the boys could not wait to get stuck in.

Rock Up

When I first saw the walls, although they are high they are in a deceptively small space and I didn’t think there were many of them, however they are carefully arranged to squeeze 26 different climbs into the space and the boys favourite was the clear wall where they could see each other as they raced up opposite each other.

Rock Up Whiteley

You are allocated 90 minutes for each session which includes the safety talk and is plenty of time – all the boys complained they were tired after they had finished!

Rock Up Whiteley

Prices for climbing start from a very reasonable £8 and soft play starts from £4, plus they offer birthday parties too, which seemed to be a big hit as there were a couple there when we were watching. There is also a small onsite cafe serving beverages and snacks.

If you are visiting Hampshire and the weather isn’t playing ball, Rock Up is certainly worth a visit and because it is situated in Whiteley Shopping Centre you can indulge in some retail therapy at the same time!