Bestie Bird and her husband, The Bolton Wanderer, are like The Man and I: they like their grub and eat out as often as their busy lives allow. His Nibs and I went to stay with them for the weekend recently and, having stayed up late yapping when we first arrived, we decided to have a late breakfast at a nearby pub-with-restaurant the next day.
Marie had recently, i.e. a fortnight earlier, started to do a ‘buffet breakfast’ offering, we all agreed to give it a go. The Ball House has got an ample car park, so BB had no trouble at all grabbing a spot near to the entrance. Now, I’m just going to say - with the caveat that the team are doing A LOT of refurb work elsewhere on the premises – that the kerb appeal from the road isn’t the greatest presently and that the car park needs a bit of love.
Stepping inside, we were greeted warmly firstly by one of the serving team and then by Marie herself. Andy was Chief Cook on this particular morning, so he was squirrelled away in the kitchen, but he did pop out a while later to say hello. Our table, which we got for 90 minutes, was laid out ready with plates, cutlery and glasses and, after talking us through the options, our server left us to crack on…which is perhaps as well as my tummy was growling hungrily!!
First job was for the chaps to get fruit juices for us all (choice of Apple or Orange) whilst us gals sorted the hot drinks: Breakfast Teas for me and BB, Herbal Tea for His Maj, and a black coffee for TBW. Once the drinks were on the table, we headed over to the ‘cold counter’ not cold, per se, but not the hot counter where the traditional Full English items were served – you know what I mean! I helped myself to a pot of fruit yoghurt and filled a bowl with all manner of fresh fruits: Galia Melon, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi Fruit, Oranges, Raspberries, Blueberries, Green- and Red- Grapes, and Banana (which I obviously didn’t go for!). Individual packets of Cereal and pots of ‘Ready Oats’ were there for We have all dined at The Ball House previously (and enjoyed it) so when we heard that Andy and you to choose, as well as a variety of Pastries and Bread for you to toast.
With our bowls laden, we trooped back to the table and began to tuck in. Unsurprisingly, His Nibs had gone heavy on the pastries and light on the fruit, though he did have a yoghurt to ‘balance’ his choices! TBW chose to have some toast to kick his breakfast off with, slapping on an individual pat of butter and some jam (there was also Nutella). Bestie Bird tried one of the Oat pots (Cranberry and Raisin) and said it was very nice, though I’m not sure she’d anticipated having to wait a few minutes for it to ‘brew’ before she could tuck in!
Having polished off the cold course, we turned our attention to the breakfast ‘proper’. It was at this point Andy appeared from the kitchen, on a mission to refresh the Fried Eggs and Hash Browns. One of the things that really impressed our group was the regularity that items on the hot counter got replenished. Andy cooks in small batches so that guests enjoy a truly delicious buffet brekkie. The Bacon was possibly some of the best that we’ve had: thickly sliced and with a fantastically deep, meaty taste. Just as good (which surprised me) were the Sausages; these were a Lincolnshire type, but weren’t so heavily seasoned as to give the links that dreaded ‘repeat factor’. Both BB and I managed to eat a whole one each, which very rarely happens as we’re both picky, and neither of us suffered any repercussions.
I’m in the minority in our group when it comes to Black Pudding: BB and TBW definitely don’t like it and His Nibs is a bit finicky, but I am absolutely down for this morsel. The slices were a bit on the thin side compared to the ones we generally get in the ‘Shire, but they tasted delicious and rich, which is the main thing, no? When it comes to Hash Browns, The Man is a bit of a connoisseur, so when he says they’re fab, you know they are; beautifully crunchy, golden outers had no trace of greasiness to them, and the inners were light and soft.
It was so nice to have the choice of Scrambled or Fried Eggs at a buffet counter, and I have to say that both options were seriously scrummy. His Nibs went for the fried ones and the yolks were nice and runny, with a gorgeously buttery-rich taste. The rest of us went for scrambled, and Andy does a cracking job (no pun intended), making sure that they have a pillowy soft texture and a dash of seasoning that elevates them on the palate. Another classy touch came with the roasted Tomatoes: still on the vine, they looked very pretty and when bitten into were gloriously soft and sweet.
Given that rogue, in-the-wild Baked Beans give me the ick, I swerved them, but the others happily spooned them onto their plates, not giving a fig that the juice was creeping towards other items on their plates. Noooooo!!!!! I had to calm myself down with a hefty helping of perfectly-sautéed Mushrooms, and their earthy flavour soon began to soothe my soul…along with a dollop of bona-fide HP sauce.
All four of us soon had rather stuffed bellies, BB and I silently congratulating ourselves on opting for the elasticated waistbands of sweatpants rather than rigid jeans. TBW took the applause for suggesting The Ball House Buffet Breakfast, though, and seeing as it only costs £10 per adult, and a mere fiver for children, he absolutely deserved the credit. Oh, and juices, coffee and tea are included in that price!!! Bostonians and other locals, if you don’t take advantage of this [frankly] outrageously budget-friendly offering, you’re idiots (to be blunt). Plus, it’s crucial to support your local businesses – especially in these cripplingly energy-costly times: use it or lose it….and don’t moan if you do and you never went!
When we felt ready, we had a wander around the back of The Ball House to see the fruits of Andy and Marie’s latest endeavour: project ‘build an outside bar and music stage’. The bar is coming along really nicely and will be the perfect place to grab a bevvie and light bite whilst listening to some [under cover] live music in the next few months. Even though I drove past this venue literally hundreds of times when I was a student nurse, I never realised just how spacious (and beautiful) the rear Beer Garden is – it’s just corner of happiness and calm, begging to be sat in when weather permits.
The Ball House is Dog- and Child- friendly and opens Mon-Thurs 9am-3pm and then 5pm-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-10pm, and Sunday Noon-8pm. To book a table, call 01295 364478. If you want to keep up with all the tea, visit www.theballhouseboston.co.uk and hit the ‘community and events’ tab, or head to the Facebook Page ‘The Ball House Boston’ and see what’s happening there.
Hot Wings unreservedly given again to Mr and Mrs Robinson, their family, and their team – you are all legends.
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