The Castle in the Air, 49 Old Gosport Road, Fareham
I asked a restaurateur recently what kind of fresh orange juice she had. She offered a carton of concentrated OJ.
Me? I was thinking of freshly-squeezed. That's what 'fresh' is to me. But not her. It was fresh out of the carton, so that was okay.
There is obviously the same difference of opinion when it comes to whether food is 'fresh'.
At the Castle in the Air pub close to Fareham creek, I asked if the food on the large menu was fresh. 'Oh, yes, all of our food is fresh,' came the reply.
'It's all made here.'
Yet my money is on the menu being based on the sort of frozen fare to be found in so many pub chains and fast food emporiums these days.
The signal it sends out is that this is normal, rather than cooking from scratch with quality yet inexpensive ingredients.
It also gives the message to undeveloped younger tastebuds that identikit lasagne, beef chilli and tikka masala are what these dishes should taste like.
The Castle in the Air is a charming, friendly old boozer with nice staff and lots of nooks and crannies. There is also modernity in the shape of loud music, a huge TV screen and games machines.
With the World Cup in full swing when I visited, there was a match day menu that included a pint of onion rings, and a pint of popcorn chicken and chips, with the pub swathed in the flag of St George.
I chose a fishcake salad (mixed leaves, cucumber, red onion, and a haddock and cheddar fishcake), which contained a hockey puck-like fishcake, its solid coating revealing potato and little else underneath. The salad was acceptable, if doused in a bottled sauce. Greene King pricing is low, with this main at 3.99 and most around a similar mark.
The dessert menu is tiny with only four offerings – apple pie, chocolate fudge cake, a sundae and a raspberry mess, the latter 2.59. Eton Mess, which I guess this was trying to emulate, is, of course, a frothy, homemade meringue confection topped with freshly whipped cream and strawberries.
This one had a biscuit base, a sweet, thick custard and frozen raspberries. In June? It was inedible and served with equally inedible industrial-type ice cream.
Britain prides itself on its recent revolution towards local, homemade, quality, healthy food. But it can only be found in a very small number of restaurants, cafes and pubs in this area.
Instead identikit grub is the norm alongside all day breakfasts and takeaways (more than 350 in and around Portsmouth).
Where is this revolution taking place and why isn't it happening locally? Or is this what people really want? My bill came to just over 8.
Carol is a chef, former restaurateur and editor of Savour, the Guild of Food Writers magazine
The Castle in the Air, 49 Old Gosport Road, Fareham PO16 OXH
01329 280320
Open: 11am–9pm every day
Food: **
Service: ***
Atmosphere: ***
Disabled access: Yes
How to get there: Exit junction 11 off the M27 at Fareham and take the A32 towards Gosport. Take the first exit on the first roundabout on the A32 and the pub is on the left. Car park and outside seating.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -5 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: East
