Some people find January a tough month to get through. The buzz of Christmas has fizzled out, and the first payday of the year still seems to be an age away. It’s cold and frosty, and there are a few coughs and sniffles out there to navigate our way around.
So, what better way to blow away those winter blues, than starting the day with a Great British Breakfast! That’s the name given to the signature dish at our local Garden Centre Restaurant. Popular at the best of times, the queues are currently even longer than usual as, in a stroke of marketing genius, the Restaurant has decided to make the GBB available half price for the month of January.
Yes, this titan, ten item tray (see my photo above) can be yours for just £4.99 (North American friends, that’s just over $6). Those ten items are: 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 back bacon rashers, grilled tomato, fried mushrooms, baked beans and a hash brown. There are vegetarian and vegan options. In case that’s not enough to fill you up, there are also two slices of toast and butter. Oh, and a pot of tea.
We walked there early to beat the rush. The Restaurant was warm and bright – the winter sun streaming through the windows – and the atmosphere lively with tables filled with chattering local diners. The food was hot, tasty and filling, and set us up for a winter walk home afterwards, our boots crunching on the frost-encrusted paths.
If ever there was an illustration of how good food and service can perk up the community’s sense of wellbeing, this is it.
You see, we visited on the day the internet and social media would have you believe is the most depressing of the year. I don’t buy into that socially constructed nonsense at all, I’m afraid. Positivity in life is there for the taking – you just need to look for it and grab it (or, in this case, go out and eat it).
I say it’s a time of year to celebrate the wonderful music of New Order, including the appropriately named track below, that I’m adding to the ADK Playlist.
I saw them play live at the Ally Pally in London a few years ago. It was after Peter Hook had left, which I thought would be a fatal blow to the band, his low-slung bass playing having always been such a distinctive part of their look and sound. However, I think their last studio album, Music Complete, is actually one of their best, and that it’s given them a new sense of purpose. They encored with a tribute to Ian Curtis and their music as Joy Division, playing Love Will Tear Us Apart and Atmosphere. A memorable evening.
So if anyone’s feeling a little down this time of year, here’s my advice: treat yourself to a Great British Breakfast! And play some New Order, starting with this excellent, uplifting track: Blue Monday.
A Different Kitchen 