It was about this time last year we were basking (sharks) in the sunshine- happily prattling on about Pippa’s behind and moaning about how hot it was. Not this year, eh dear readers? I sit here on Bank Holiday Monday shivering over a computer with possibly the slowest internet connection in the world trying to share my desperately important speaks. The rain is lashing up against my forehead (through the roof via the floor) and the river haunts my waking hours like a rather wet haunty thing (as for my sleeping hours- they are marginally dryer but still a bit haunty).

Yes, once again I’m promoting Red Lion randomness again (again, again!)- If you’re new to these emails- I’m very sorry, and if you’re a veteran well frankly I’m surprised. Today, Matthew, I am mostly promoting our Jubilee celebration that is taking place on June 2^nd-5^th weather permitting (a bit). We’ll be back out on the flood planes of Hunningham showing fillums on our enormous inflatable screen (ooer). Obviously these films will be the best of British to unconventionally doff our caps to her madge and her remaining on the throne for 60 years (is it 60?) without being murdered by a distant family member or a French person (as was the way of olde) The most famous of all will be The Great Escape which will be screened on Sunday 3^rd- this leaves two other movies which will be Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Saturday) and Four Weddings & A Funeral (Monday) These wonderful films will be accompanied by Live music, Real ale, outside bar, BBQ, scrumpy ciders, Hog roast and general silliness- camping is available on a first come first served basis and is £7 per pitch per night. Parking is free & so is entry but everything after that will be nicely overpriced, naturally!! Not that I need an excuse but I will be dressed as a German.

For those of you who haven’t been in attendance of late we have been operating our Death Row Dinners- A bit of fun where we cook your last meal and then execute you- It’s been a big hit and more details can be found here….

I will be abusing you again as soon as we have all the details for The Red Lion Film & Beer Festival 2012 which, as usual, will take place on the August bank holiday- get your film suggestions in now!!

As ever you can follow us on twitter @Lionhunningham and find us on facebook (however one does that)- alternatively keep it old school by just coming back down the pub!!

Once again if you wish to be removed from this mailing list please reply with the subject “get lost four eyes” and you shall be terminated.

And remember just because you are a character, doesn’t mean you have character!

Stay classy San Diego!

Sam

So these are the first lucky punters to have their Death Row Dinner (without actually being executed) cooked for them. Piccys attached of course but for the un trained eye, Candy perry our first winner went for a menu of Cote de Boeuf (cooked blue) served with roast potatoes shaped like chips, bearnaise sauce, rocket and parmesan salad and a bottle of Ripasso valpolicella (a seriously good bottle of grape juice!) They had a lovely stress free final meal metaphorically speaking of course!! If you want the chance to have your perfect last meal cooked for you, pop in for something to eat or just a quick beer, fill out one of the death row cards you will see dotted everywhere and put in the big box cleverly marked with “Death row Dinners” and with photos of electric chairs and nooses etc!!!

Much love De Management

If it was you on the Green mile and you had one more meal to go, what would you go for???

On all the tables you’ll see little cards asking you what you’d munch if tomorrow

you were for the chop.

Have a think, write down your most bestest meal and last drink too (we’re generous like that) on the card, slap an e mail address on it and we’ll hopefully be in touch to cook your perfect dinner

with the kicker of not actually executing you. Skills.

Each month we will draw out of a hat one lucky winner who will get their perfect last meal cooked for them and a partner or friend by our chef team and what’s more you’ll get your mug on our website next to your menu of choice!! What’s not to love??

Below are a few examples.

Our head chef Darran would have Cote de boeuf, mash, wild mushroom jus, béarnaise, asparagus and purple sprouting broccoli with an Appleton’s dark rum and coke to wash it down. Presumably to delay the execution with all the prep time.

(We hasten to add Darran is not being executed and actually his appraisal went very well.)

With perhaps the strangest real life request, James Edwards Smith, was convicted and executed on June 26,1990 for a robbery and murder in Texas.

Smith requested not a meal, but a lump of dirt that was apparently for a Voodoo ritual. As dirt was not an approved list of prison foods his request was denied and he settled for a small cup of yogurt instead.

NB: Health and safety prevent us from giving any customers a lump of dirt to eat, (even the annoying ones)

Sam, our wise and powerful boss would have..

Tuna and sea bass sashimi with a glass of warm sake followed by herb crusted rack of lamb, roast pots, roast garlic and creamed spinach with a pot of earl grey tea, 2 sugars and far too much milk.

He’s a simple fellow.

Cheap date below

Robert Buell in Ohio 2002 requested a single black un pitted olive!!

(We hope we draw something similar out of the hat!!)

Not cheap date below

Lawrence Russell Brewer, who was executed Wednesday for the hate crime slaying of James Byrd Jr. more than a decade ago, asked for two chicken fried steaks, a triple-meat bacon cheeseburger, fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, a meat lover’s pizza, a pint of ice cream and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts.

(Please don’t ask for this! It’s just silly)

Will, the tall willowy athletically handsome chap (Looks like Postman Pat) with scruffy hair would go for…

Rib of beef (rare) with honey parsnips and spuds, cauliflower cheese, leeks and bacon and a yorkie or 2. All washed down with a bottle of  Rioja. Yum.

April’s winner is Mrs C. Parry who will be having her dinner on Thursday- details to follow…

]]> http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/death-row-dinners/feed/ 3 http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/mothers-day-2012/ http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/mothers-day-2012/#comments Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:06:04 +0000 Sam http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/?p=1257

Here’s the Momma’s day set menu- we’ll be doing sittings as it’s a busy one- Book now to avoid a tantrum- Hurrah!!

Mothering Sunday March 18th 2012

Food served From 12 noon 9.30 Pm

Please Order all food and drink at the bar

Set Menu

£24.95 for 3 courses

£21.95 for 2 courses

Starters

Sweetcorn & basil soup with rustic bread (V)

Smoked salmon & scrambled egg

Chicken liver parfait with rhubarb salsa & toast

Crispy duck, beansprouts, pak choi & mouli salad with soy & sesame

Tomato & mozzarella with honey roast figs & basil dressing

Mains

Rare roast rump of Warwickshire beef *

Buttercross Farm belly Pork with stuffing & apple sauce *

Apricot, morel mushroom & Quorn nut roast with beetroot & balsamic gravy (V)*

Salmon & crayfish fishcake with saffron pickled cucumber, Pernod butter sauce & poached Offchurch egg

Offchurch chicken breast stuffed with wild mushrooms

served with tarragon mash & creamed leeks *

Afters

Traditional apple pie with custard

Chocolate brownie with pistachio ice cream

English Strawberry eton mess

Banoffee creme brulee

A selection of Ringswood ice creams (3 scoops):

Chocolate, Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Honey,

Vanilla, pistachio, lemon Sorbet or apple sorbet

* Anything denoted with a little star at the end of it is available in half portion or signifies the location of the baby Jesus,

I’m not sure which?

For The Little ‘Uns

Homemade Fishfingers & fries £5.50 or Hatton sausages & mash £5.50

We avoid GM foods like the plague; try to be as local and free range as possible and our coffee is fair trade. Oh, and its organic! Some foods may contain nuts- if you have a food allergy please tell us before you start swelling up! Many thanks.

Need I actually say anything about this evening of silliness? Stonking menu tho’!!

The Red Lion

Hunningham

01926 632715

Valentines dinner

Tuesday February 14^th 2012

Available from 6pm by sittings

4 courses (Starter or pudding) £25.50

5 Courses £29.95

Canapes

Starters

Pea soup with crispy frog’s leg & truffle oil

**

Maldon rock Oysters with lemon & shallot vinegar

**

Parmesan doughnuts & Chestnut soup with pear carpaccio (V)

**

Pan-fried scallops with black pudding & cauliflower puree

**

Whole box baked Camembert (To share) with chilli jam, & rustic breads (V)

Sorbet

Coconut, chilli & lime

Mains

Warwickshire lamb rump (served pink), Local purple sprouting, fondant potato,

confit cherry tomatoes & anchovy & garlic puree

**

Local mixed roast (To share): Rare rump of beef, rack of lamb & slow cooked belly pork with roast new potatoes & mixed vegetables

**

Pan-fried John Dory with vanilla mash, spinach, baby leeks & vermouth sauce

**

Offchurch chicken breast with braised leeks, tarragon mash & a cep porchini cream sauce

**

Heirloom tomato, goats cheese & herb tart with Worcester & maple sweet potato fries (V)

**

Venison Steak (Served pink) with wild mushroom gratin, saffron hollandaise & dauphinoise potatoes

Desserts

All to share

Chocolate taster plate

**

“Retro sweets” taster plate

**

Selection of English cheese & biscuits

]]> http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/valentines-day-menu-2012/feed/ 0 http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/lunch-on-29th-december-2011/ http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/lunch-on-29th-december-2011/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:43:03 +0000 Sam http://redlionhunningham.co.uk/?p=1233

A very long shot and An odd one I know, but if you came in here this afternoon and you were sat on R4 (round the corner on an octagonal table) and your name was Kate- please drop me an email as I owe you an apology- many thanks

Sam

I have to say this was the busiest I have ever seen the Red Lion. My guess is that we had somewhere in the region of 2000 people who turned up for the bonfire festivities. Firstly I would like to say a big thank you for making the effort and secondly I would like to apologise for if you didnt manage to get a drink or a spot of nosh- I simply had no idea that so many would come. Still…those lasers were pretty cool. Anyways I’ll have a long hard look at the way we do things and see if we cant tweak it a little so that we have a few less disgruntled types!! Thanks again!

Grimble Timple my ever growing Narnian children of the Batman. Tis I, the silent and gibbering mong of Hunningham (apparently that term is derogatory but I’m talking about me and I don’t mind so much!) I felt that it was time to fondle your grey matter with my words of sensibility and inform you of such glad tidings as Bonfire Night, Christmassy stuff & an impending new swine list (We’re selecting different pigs to slaughter on a daily basis and then making a list of our favourites- don’t be ridiculous that wouldn’t be cost effective and it would be a tad messy- grow up!)

Right first up is Bonfire & Bangers 4. Yes it’s Four years since I first opened the doors to The Red Lion, Hunningham and here we still are. Feels like a lifetime already! So as ever it’s birthday time, Bonfire Night, British sausage week & an excuse to have another bash in the rain….it’s what we do!

This year November 5^th is a Saturday so added to all the usual shenanigans (thank goodness for spell check) there’s “A Frickin’ laser” show as well as fireworks (no expense spent) all to the dulcet tunes of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon- sadly it’s just the music- (I fell out with Roger Waters as well and we just cant be in the same room- musical differences mainly- that and I kept trying to play the spoons over the guitar solos) Anyway what you’ll have will be an outside bar in a marquee, Pig roast, Mulled wine, spiced cider, BBQ, sausages, Burritos, a big fat bonfire, fireworks, ‘frickin’ laser show and Dark Side Of The Moon. It’s a free event, as ever with free parking in a (probably very) muddy field. Come down and spend some money will ya?!

Next up all the Christmassy bits are available online at the usual place www.redlionhunningham.co.uk oddly if you then click on Christmas 2011 it’ll take you right there!! That includes The Christmas party menu, Christmas Day menu & New Years Eve menu. Skills!

In other news the pub was nominated as Pub of The Year in The Good Pub Guide 2012 – I suggested that it must’ve been a slow year for good pubs but what an honour!! We didn’t win, like, but to be nominated with only another 8 pubs was pretty special. We have also received a food award to go with our wine award- thankfully we got another sticker (I like stickers).

Whilst on the subject of little red books (wasn’t I?) We have also made it into The Michelin Guide! I am so pleased (page 247 under Hunningham) what an amazing achievement- well done to Darran and the boys!!

We are in the process of giving the wine list a big fat overhaul and will hopefully be forcing some new wines on you over the coming weeks…. We’re tasting reds this afternoon- It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!! The food menu is heading down that wintery route at the moment so there’s lots of new dishes coming your way- I know, I know it’s about piggin’ time!!

The fires are now lit every day (Free smoke for early diners) although the more optimistic of you still persist on eating outside!

We have invested in a fourth ale pump so now you can expand your mind and try something new. (Not Morris dancing)

And finally we have a visiting table magician visiting once a month on a Sunday, (he’s a visitor) although he’s so magic that we never actually know which Sunday he’s coming on but it’s always betwixt the hours of 1pm & 4pm!

And it’s back to the studio…

I don’t think there’s much else to bore you with apart from the usual- If you’d like to stop receiving these pearls of wisdom simply reply with the Subject: Get Lost Four Eyes and you’ll be terminated. If you want more- be old school and come down the pub or be a geeklord tweet away @lionhunningham or find us on Facebook- we’re there somewhere!!

Remember just because you are a character doesn’t mean that you have character…

Laters wombats

Sam

Its our fourth birthday here at the Red Lion, It’s British sausage week, Bonfire night and a saturday night!! Soooo massive bonfire, fireworks, outside bar, mulled wine, pig roast bbq, sausages etc AAAAANNNNDD a laser show featuring the music of Pink Floyd. Yup it’s free and has free parking in a muddy field (probably)

It’ll kick off outside at around 6pm but we wont light the bonfire until about 8pm and then we’ll start the show around 8.15 I’d have thunk!