Peak District Walk - Monsal Trail

A few pictures from following the Monsal Trail. It is a 10km circular walk (you finish where you start), with the starting point of Ashford-on-the-Water.

Monsal Viaduct

Jin Juu, London

Jin Juu, London
Website: www.jinjuu.com

Following a few days exploring London and Hogwarts (Warner Bros Studios) Jin Juu was one of my highlights. As with most things before I part with my money, I like to research. My research led me to the Korean menu of Jin Juu. Looking at the menu, it was clearly a chance to try a variety of new things. I had hoped to visit in the evening, but it was fully booked, so we decided to go for a lunch booking instead.

A friendly welcome on arrival and we were promptly taken to the seating downstairs. It's a really nice venue and the glowing green wall on the stair well showed of its style as we headed to our seats. The seating area had a nice atmosphere, with more stylish artwork and the chefs could be seen working away at the end.

There was plenty of variety in the drinks menu, but a bit too early to pick a beer or Korean cocktail. Instead I went for a pot of tea, although sweet, it was really nice and ticked the box of something new.

I could be quite mean and compare Jin Juu with somewhere I went for breakfast whilst in London. The contrast really showed off the excellent service at Jin Juu. We joked about it afterwards, but you couldn't finish a glass of water in Jin Juu, because the staff were so attentive and keen to top up your glass or cup of tea.

Although it was a 2 page menu, it was difficult to decide. So many options, different styles and tasty sounding combinations.

Sae-woo pops

Gochu Bombs

We shared the sae-woo pops, delicious fried prawn balls on sticks. The dip was a nice match. We also ordered the Gochu bombs. They were my favourite, my mouth is watering thinking about them! A good size bomb, they are actually deep fried jalapeños that are stuffed with bulgogi beef, pork, cheddar and Parmesan cheese, served with a cool ranch dip. Some of my favourite ingredients all in one. Amazing. 

The fries were crispy and nice and hot. We had plenty of different dips and sauces to enjoy them with.

Bulgogi burgers

Korean fried chicken slider

For mains we combined the fries with sliders. The sliders surprised me, I perhaps thought small burgers would be a disappointment, but they were full of flavour and enjoyable creations. The small bites soon added up and we were simply too full to attempt a dessert, I'm sure we missed out on some great creations, but it's a nice excuse to return. 

Looking back at the menu, there are plenty more dishes I would like to try at Jin Juu. Again I will highlight the service was really appreciated and a number of staff said thank you on our way out. The positivity continued beyond the meal, with the owner and head chef showing appreciation for some of my tweets as I made the journey back to Sheffield. 

The only disappointment is that I may have to go without Gochu bombs for a while!

No second thoughts a 5/5.  :D 

Surprise View, Peak District

Sorry to ruin the surprise, but heading back to Sheffield we stopped off at a car park which was signposted for surprise view. This is the view!

The view overlooks Hope Valley. The car park is on the Castleton to Sheffield road (A625) - it is a pay and display (card only!) No toilets, but a great view!

Hope Valley, Peak District

Entrepreneurs Scrapbook

An Entrepreneurs Scrapbook

#whynot?

More soon....

Exploring the Peak District - Baslow

Baslow, Derbyshire

A few tweets from the Sheffield Telegraph @shftelegraph and +Lesley Draper inspired me to use the local bus services to further explore the beautiful Peak District.

We decided to catch the bus to Baslow (either the 215 or the 218) from the Sheffield bus interchange. I was expecting an old run down TM Travel bus to pick us up and maybe a few other passengers and slowly make its way out to the Peak District.

I was quite impressed when a modern bus arrived, not only does it include usb ports to charge phones, but the the bus journey is well illustrated down the length of the bus. I couldn't help myself walking down the bus to read about the different stops, maybe spotting ideas for another day out. The bus interchange is quite modern with plenty of reminders that apps are available to help plan your journeys. (The journey itself took around 40 minutes and cost less than £5 return)

The route of the bus journey also provided a chance to see parts of Sheffield I am less familiar with and to relax, with the added benefit of not having to worry about driving should we find a nice pub later on.

So, we hopped of the bus in the middle of Baslow. There is a notice board with a nice looking map, to help you find your bearings. I'd recommend heading to Baslow Edge (pictures below), but it was also quite nice not having a plan and just wondering around the village.

After admiring the weir (should have taken a photo...) we enjoyed some of these sights:

and relax...

crossing the bridge

Derbyshire / Peak District - walking towards Baslow Edge

Derbyshire / Peak District - Walking to Baslow Edge

Baslow Edge - shame about the fog

Having found some directions on Google to Baslow Edge, we enjoyed a slow walk up a steady incline. With nice views on the way and plenty of fresh air, the only downside was the fog - hiding the full scale of the views. There is a well positioned bench at the top - for those who like to sit and take in the view, or catch their breath....

Having been recommended:

• The Devonshire Arms, Baslow
• Rowleys, Baslow
• White Lion, Great Longstone

 After walking back down from Baslow Edge and into the centre of the village, we decided to try the Devonshire Arms. (You can see it from where the bus drops you off)

The Devonshire Arms is quite a large venue and seemed very busy on a Sunday. We tried our luck and managed to get a table for two with no trouble at all. The pub looks to be a successful business, with a busy bar, a stylish dining area and even its own coffee and cake shop.

I went for the 12 hour roast sirloin of beef (see below), it was also served with a selection of vegetables (red cabbage, peas and green beans.) The meals are well presented and I would class this as my first fine dining Sunday lunch. It was a delicious meal, served with a monstrous Yorkshire pudding (see photographic evidence below), the meal was perfectly accompanied with a pint of Chatsworth blonde (an award winner, don't you know.)

The Devonshire Arms - Sunday Lunch - 12 hour roast sirloin of beef

Cappuccuino

Chocolate brownie with chocolate ice cream

After such a nice lunch, we decided to fit in dessert as well. I went for the chocolate brownie and chocolate ice cream, delicious. But my partner found the real treasure - a peanut butter ice cream, which is actually made by the pub. Hands down, some of the best ice cream we have ever tasted. Compliments to the chef!

We had some hot drinks before leaving (around 0 - 4 degrees at the moment, feels like winter!)

So after a fun day out, some fresh air, great views (nevermind the fog) and enjoying some great food and drink - it was time to hop back on the bus and return to the City. The bus services run every hour and there are plenty of other destinations to explore, including Bakewell and Chatsworth House. We are looking forward to further exploring the Peak District, considering possible places to live and enjoying any pubs en route. Hopefully this blog post will encourage others to use the bus services on our doorstep, but ultimately to enjoy the adventures and delights of the Peak District.

If you have any favourites, recommendations or comments, please share them below. 

The Devonshire Arms

Chatsworth House

An autumn visit to Chatsworth House, England

A few photos for now....comment below, what do you think?

More photos can be seen at www.instagram.com/theitguydoes

Chatsworth House Stables