A Lesson on Eating in English Pubs

While having lunch at the Bard on Avon pub in downtown Christchurch, I discovered the best way to garner maximum enjoyment of pub food with a minimum of gastronomic discomfort: dine with individuals who have high metabolisms, large appetites and a generous disposition. Order something light for yourself (in my case, a warm lamb salad, which provided me with my fix of NZ lamb as well as fresh vegetables), and then pick off the plates of your dining companions.

Using this method, I got to sample both the red wine venison casserole and the best bangers’n’mash I’d ever tasted—both of which went way better with my beer than my salad—without being so full I could barely walk at the end of lunch. Kelly and Jeff, on the other hand, were in a bit of discomfort and in desperate need of a nap. I felt great!