A few weeks ago, myself and some other bloggers from Bournemouth Bloggers were invited to review the Norfolk Royal Carvery which is held every Sunday. I hadn't had a carvery in absolutely forever (plus I'm a piglet and love food!) so of course I jumped at the chance!


I've never been to the Norfolk Royal before, and what struck me firstly was how regal and elegant the hotel is. It's set right in Bournemouth, and it's just gorgeous!


We sat down, and ordered our drinks before diving right into the Carvery portion of our visit. We met the chef who offered us our choice of meats. On offer were Gammon, Beef and Turkey. I opted for beef, but you could have literally one or all of the meats!

I also was given the option of a yorkshire pudding the SIZE OF MY HEAD. Of course I took one.


Next up... perfectly crispy roast potatoes, stuffing and PIGS IN BLANKETS. I cannot stress enough how much I love pigs in blankets. I had all the pigs in blankets. Not quite all, but 3. Insane. Insane. Insane.

I also did the #health thing and got some veg- the carrots were honestly done to perfection. Not overdone nor underdone. Just perfect.

Of course, I finished with a boat tonne of gravy. The only thing I would note, is that it was a little thin but I'm a fan of gravy so thick you can stand a spoon in it.


I honestly had the best afternoon with the bloggers, and although it was a little warm in the dining room, the food was lush and I'd recommend anyone to pop along.

A couple of weeks ago, I headed to The Stable in Bournemouth with Bournemouth Bloggers for an exclusive cider tasting event. We were greeted by the Stable's resident cider guru, Ross, who was to be leading us through the evening. We were given a glass of Rapscallion, which is the Stable's own cider. It was really good!


Before dinner, we were introduced to the cider making process, and it was explained how ciders differ. Ross was very knowledgeable and he was most definitely passionate about his job- which is always lovely to see.


For dinner, we were provided with the most delightful array of foods- the Duck Norris pizza was my favourite! (never would have imagined duck on pizza.... I'd recommend!)


After dinner, we got down to business tasting the cider. The ciders we tasted were all finalists at the Stable's Cider Awards. It was crazy how everyone's opinions differed so wildly... I could be saying 'It's a no from me' and someone else would be saying they absolutely loved it! Not going to lie though, even the 'No's from me' I still drank... none of the ciders were bad- I just preferred the sweeter fruitier ones.


Below, I'll explain my verdict on each one with my overall winner announced at the end.

Cockeyed- Made of 100% Juice and was quite sweet.
Bumblebee- Had a very woody taste to it, and for me it was too 'oak-y'.
Hallets- This had quite a sour quality- I said to Emma next to me that it was properly giving me Cardi B 'Okuuuuuuurt' vibes.
Nightingale- Tasted a bit like a prosecco which is always top in my books.
#5- This one had quite a 'farm' vibe going on. I wasn't a fan- but it was a favourite for some of the other girls!
Dudda's Tun- This was a genuine pleasure to drink. Tasted so fruity and apricot-y.
No 8- Also really lovely and sweet.
Perry- I wasn't the biggest of fan's.
Murmuration- another woody type cider which I've realised, is not my bag.
Gospel Green- this was popped like a prosecco/ champagne.  Although nice, I much prefer a glass of real Champagne or Prosecco!

We also got the chance to experience 'cider throwing' which, I was genuinely appalling at. Some of the others really got the hang of it though!


Overall, my winner was Dudda's Tun.. so much apricot-y amazingness. For someone who wasn't necessarily educated about cider before.. I certainly learned a lot and now know what kind of cider I like!

I had such a lovely evening, and I'd definitely recommend popping along to your nearest Stable to try their lush cider, and even more lush pizzas.