retiredmartin

“Man cannot live by The Word alone“. He also needs pints of Bass and a balanced diet, like the one in Wigan’s Swan and Railway (above).

Rushing between 3 homes, Mrs RM has done miracles with a slow cooker, but rarely spending 3 days in a row in the same house means there’s barely time to shop, let alone batch cook. A lot of stir fries and baked sweet potatoes (pic only available to Patronised readers).

So these 2025 highlights are not an endorsement of my Retired Martin meal plan, which at times over-relied on the 8th wonder of the world from the chilled section of Home Bargains.

Quite a bit of squid this year, battered or otherwise. My new Chinese takeaway of the year comes from the Little Fat Buddha in Cockerton, Darlington,

and if those party plates look familiar they should do.

If you want to see what a typical Saturday night at RM Towers looks like,

it’s the Sang Lung crispy beef and Singapore rice with a bottle of 19 Crimes Red (corked not screwtop, like we can tell the difference).

I am truly blessed to have 3  really great Chinese takeaways in Sheffield, Waterbeach and Southborough, NCTSS 4.5 all.

This year has seen the arrival of a new kid on the Waterbeach culinary block, the Nepalese curry in the White Horse rivalling Bradford in all regards except that it’s in Waterbeach.

In pubs, I was introduced to French crisps in the Old Shoe; I’m still paying off the loan for those.

Of course, all you need in pubs is a cob,

and an argument about whether it’s actually a bap, barm, or bread cake.

Black Country Ales have the best cobs, but that cheese and black pudding one footer in Wombourne may have gone too far.

In Europe, we found the pork knuckle in Bucharest hard to finish.

But I did.

And in Georgia, Kutaisi had both the worst, and in Doli’s veggie platter the best meals of the year,

On a boozy night with Blackpool Jane in Bolton, we took a chance on Mr Chaat. Ignore the presentation, this was stellar Indian street food.

After all that food, you’ll be needing a health drink,

I recommend the tomato gose seen in Chisinau craft bars. 6% , and probably one of your 5 a day.