An Island in Essex

Speaking of seafood shacks, can it really be almost a whole year since our visit to The Company Shed on Mersea Island?  Alas, it can.  What a lovely day that was.  Sunshine, beach huts, pictureskew cottages, house boats and bloody brilliant seafood:

The Company Shed is the kind of place that sticks to the basics - no faffing about, which means if you want side orders or anything that's not actual seafood, then you can bring your own.  And it was ace.  I ordered one of everything off the (extensive) menu which meant we struggled to finish it all but hey, I got over excited.  And it's not like I can pop in very often.




Mersea Island and the Company Shed made me want to up sticks and move to Essex.  If I did I'd quite like to live here:

FUFF x

Saucy Shellfish

It's a Saturday morning.  Me and Him have the ENTIRE WEEKEND OFF.  This is unusual.  It requires something a bit special and that can only mean one thing: a jaunt into the wilds of Scotland in our beloved campervan.  We've had a look at the weather forecast and the safest (ie driest) option within a 100 mile radius is on the east coast - East Lothian to be precise. 

Himself heads off to retrieve Bridget the campervan from exile in her lock-up while I race around gathering the necessary for a night under the stars.  Disposable BBQ - check.  Box of matches - check.  Worry about the actual food later - check.  And we're off!

It's 6.30pm and a suitably deserted beach has been located.  Actual food has been purchased.  The wine has been opened, the BBQ has been lit and the fish is marinading.  Ok, so there's no green stuff but we're slumming it.  If you can call scallops in their shells slumming it. Ha!








So, it's the next morning and we are in North Berwick looking for somewhere do our morning ablutions (wild camping has it's drawbacks.  I think you know what I'm saying).  Coming out of the public loos on the harbour we spot what could be the ideal place for an al fresco lunch in a couple of hours' time:

It's the Lobster Shack!  Now, I am quite a fan of this sort of thing.  The food is usually significantly fresher and cheaper than in an equivalent restaurant.  There's an amazing seafood shack beside the ferry terminal in Oban which everyone that way inclined should visit. I might have mentioned that before.




Anyway, after a walk of mammoth proprtions along the beach we are ready for lunch and head back to the Shack: 

Langoustine, sea bass, crab, fishcakes...hmmm, what will I have?  Lobster and chips?  Yes please!  Yummeroo.
When this picture was taken I had just demolished another half lobster which the very nice man gave us for free because we had to wait an enormous 15 minutes for our food.  Result!
All in all, that was a good weekend.

FUFF x