Fish and chips twice

We seldom eat fish and chips. Partly because of thinking about the cholesterol impact of the non-fish components, and partly because finding a good chippie is a bit hit and miss. But we had a recommendation about Bizzie Lizzie's on the bridge in Skipton, and decided to try them out about a week ago.

It was yummy! Last night I wasn't in the mood for cooking, and we decided to go back again. I looked at the menu behind the counter and, based on that, ordered "Two standard cod and regular chips". The first indication I had of a communication problem was when Aggy, the very pleasant young lady serving me, asked me if I wanted the fish in just one carton. I saw from the till that her name was Agiota, and her English, although good, was obviously not her native tongue. So I put this down to her not having quite grasped what fish and chips was about, and just said I wanted them in separate cartons. She did that, put them in a carrier, and followed that with a single carton of chips. I reminded her that I wanted two portions of chips, at which she looked surprised, because she'd thought I'd ordered only one. I realised that, in mathematical symbolism, she'd understood "Two standard cod and regular chips" to mean 2F + C, whereas I'd intended 2(F + C).

She, of course, apologised profusely several times and I said not-at-all, and would have made some sort of joke about it, except that I think the failure in communication had gone far enough already. It was another reminder that communication occurs in the ear of the hearer, not in the mouth of the speaker!

Well, it wasn't F & C for lunch today. We've had a Sunday roast out for the last two Sundays, and been a bit disappointed on both occasions. So today we decided to go back to Forage, where we had an excellent coffee last week, and which proudly proclaims that they offer the best Sunday roast in Skipton.

Well, I'm happy to confirm that they probably do. The have an inventive turn of mind, which I reported last week in relation to the menus, but without photos. Well, here are the photos.

The Observer's Book of Horses & Ponies, and The Observer's Book of Music provide entertainment, and then you come across the menu sections, glued in place.

The invention thus demonstrated also extends to some of the cooking. Broccoli came garnished with bits of streaky bacon and toasted almonds, which was all delicious. In another dish were carrots and leaks smothered with a cheese sauce. The only roast they were offering today was pork, but it came with crackling and a large Yorkshire pudding. Overall the mixture of flavours was much appreciated, and it didn't seem to matter that it was all swimming a bit in gravy. Anyway, that's better than not having enough!

We decided to stay for gateau and coffee. The coffee was very good, but the best thing about the coffee and walnut gateau was the unsolicited refund they gave me when I observed that it had been a bit solid and a bit burnt. Apart from this, however, we had a very enjoyable Sunday lunch.

So – two names to remember should you venture to Skipton – Bizzie Lizzie's and Forage. We can recommend them both!