A touch of Highland hospitality comes to Beeston

Yesterday we went to new Thistle Teahouse for a light lunch in the company of close friends. I had met Maggie, the owner, some weeks ago whilst she was getting the Thistle ready to open and a week or so ago I re-produced her menu cards. This time my pics are of food:

Flat Scottish Sausage on toast with two poached eggs on top and a cheese baguette. See if you can guess which is which?

My friend Rosie was impressed with the 'Hotel toast' Maggie gave me. In her opinion, which I value, it should be 'Soft when you bite into it with a crisp crust' and this did it to near perfection. In my case old age has brought with it bowls which can no longer tolerate rye bread, be it home-made or shop bought (I used to make it, now I buy it for Susan from Birds on Beeston Square by the traffic lights).  When it comes to poached eggs I have to have them when I see them on a menu and I could see Maggie making them in her very impressive high-tech kitchen. Touched the yolk spilled over the toast and the square Scottish sausage. It really was a sensuous experience. Then the sausage, deliciously salty and tasty. Salt is something I rarely use at home, except when having boiled eggs, but sometimes it is part of the food and this was one of those occasions. Numerous cups of weak black Earl Grey (I have to be able to see the bottom of the cup) did their job and it took me a good 30 minutes to consume the treat that Maggie had placed before me.

Susan and Paul got on with eating their baguettes whilst I photographed Rosie's cheese baguette which came with a small bowl of crisps (I traded a quarter of sausage for some of Susan's crisps, the first this year). After eating her baguette Rosie and Susan had no room for cake, so we all agreed that we would come back for Maggie's afternoon tea nearer Christmas.

In the meantime I will be going in before too long, probably next week, when Susan's goes to the opera with a friend, for a takeaway Flat Scottish sausage & Black Pudding roll. I left the Black Pudding off my order yesterday because Rosie doesn't eat meat and the Black Pudding would have been too much, not that Rosie would say of course. Her husband Paul and I share a passion for sardine sandwiches but that's another story...

Maggie declined to have her photograph taken and I understand why and, quite frankly, it doesn't matter! Maggie's food and her menu tell you that this a woman who wants to share a love of Highlands hospitality with Beeston.

In my book Maggie is up there with Jo at the Local Not Global Deli on Chilwell Road and Rosemary at Rosie Lea's Tea Room on Wilkinson Avenue. None of them on the High Road but worth the extra few minutes it takes to reach them if you're starting from the bus and tram Interchange, although in my case I walk past the Thistle and the end of Wilkinson Avenue on my way into town (sometime I go via Marlborough Road to avoid them).

Stop! I must be bloody mad! All three establishments are quite small and if you start going I will have to make sure I get there first.

Seriously, a small select bunch of Beeston's best. Each have their strengths. Next week I promise three pics, one of each, from my archive, so 'Watch this space' as they say.

As we left after 150 minutes Maggie was telling me about her 'must have' 'Gin and tonic tea', full of so much enthusiasm that I will have to try it on my next visit...