Savory or sweet?

Personally, I don't like it when savoury and sweet are mixed. Fruit in cheese, pineapple on pizza, even Nutella on toast is a little alien to me. 

But for some reason, there is just one thing that works... Bacon and maple syrup pancakes. America I commend you for this wonderful creation, that seems to satisfy every tastebud in my mouth. 

I took a friend for lunch at Boston Tea Party in Cheltenham the other day, and whilst it is a slightly stressful environment (due to the business, and the queue at the front to order) the food is lush. It's a relatively new addition to the hundreds of restaurants in Cheltenham, one that seems to have gone down impeccably well with the locals. I understand there are a few of them dotted around the country.

D and I had tried to go there for Sunday brunch a few weeks ago, but there was an hour wait for food and we were hungry! This occasion was no different, it appears that no matter what time you visit the establishment, it is busy and there will always be a wait. Thankfully half an hour is a bit more acceptable. 

There's a good variety of drinks, both hot and cold, and an interesting menu. Whilst the breakfast items (luckily, served all day) appeal to me, the rest of the menu is a little fancy for my liking, and we all know how picky I can be! Price wise, it's quite expensive for a breakfast, but that's to be expexted with dining out in Cheltenham. 

Having had bacon and maple syrup pancakes for the first time on a spa weekend a few months back (see my earlier blog about the malvern spa), I was exceptionally excited to see them on the menu. It was around 12pm, so I thought that perhaps it was a little late for pancakes, but when A decided to go for them it was an easy choice to make. 

They were a little faster than the 30 mins anticipated, and the pancakes were perfectly cooked, with a good amount of syrup and a little bit of crunch. The bacon was also cooked just how I like it, a little overdone with not too much crisp. It was, as hoped for, a meal that I thoroughly enjoyed. Great sized portion as well, it left me satisfied but not too full, as I all to often can be after a meal out. My only disappointment was the amount of bacon; the ratio of bacon to pancakes was too small (only 2 rashers of bacon and 5 pancakes), and, as somebody who likes a little bit of everything in every mouthful, I found myself having tiny pieces of bacon so as not to sell myself short towards the end of the dish. 

So my only advice to BTP would be to add an extra ration of bacon to the dish, or offer people the option to add it on as an extra when you order, and possibly to use table service at busy times to avoid the clutter of people around the till area. 

8/10

£10-£15 per head 

Signing off

Paigey x