Gin anyone?

Amazing how popular gin has become in recent times. There were over 100 different gins to sample at Frederic Bistro where we went tonight along with over 300 French wines and dozens of French cheeses.

We were at Frederic to celebrate our 15 wedding anniversary, albeit a day early. So popular is Frederic that it was booked up a week ahead for Saturdays, so we had to make do with Friday evening. We don't usually go out for meals to mark birthdays and anniversaries but we've wanted to give this place a try for a while. It's rated No 1 in Maidstone on TripAdvisor, with everyone we've talked to extolling its virtues.

We were not disappointed. Susan started with a crayfish and avocado pate then had lamb rump. I had beef bourguignon (you can't begin to imagine the difficulty I had spelling that last word) followed by a selection of French cheeses. The food was excellent, as was the service and the whole ambience of the place. But where was the French bread? The custom in French restaurants is to bring bread to the table. Neither here nor at Cafe Rouge was that the case.

In all events it was a lovely evening despite th cool damp weather that had earlier prevented me from going to the allotment. However, it wasn't a problem as we used the time to put the first coat of emulsion on the walls and ceilings of the studio.