Picking at The Potting Shed

Last week, I finally had a chance to catch up with one of my best mates after a month long hangout drought. Shayben and I have worked together for the past 2 years and now that we've both made the move into freelance, our catch up sessions aren't as frequent. So to make up for it, we made headway to The Grounds of Alexandria's Potting Shed - the perfect spot to sit, sip and graze for a while without feeling an immediate rush to leave.

I wasn't feeling too hungry, so I decided to go with the Pumpkin Fatteh, a gorgeous twist on a Middle Eastern favourite that usually features chickpeas and yoghurt. This version included generous lashings of labne, both plain and minted, roasted pumpkin and a good sprinkling of toasted pine nuts. Served with some toasted flat bread, this plate was just right for a mid afternoon grazing session, and definitely much bigger than I anticipated. Definitely not a coffee spot (for reasons I'm unsure of) we ordered cold drinks to go with lunch. In true Shayben fashion, the boy ordered meat, with a side of meat. It was steak, fries and a serve of popcorn chicken on the side. The popcorn chicken was fantastic - large nuggets of perfectly cooked chicken, coated in the right amount of crispy golden crumbing. When I asked Ben how his steak was, all I got was a muffled " hectic". I think he loved it.