Come Dine with Me - Day 3

Last night, Cheapman was the next person in my 'Come Dine With Me' competition to entertain us. "I have decided not to prepare anything special for this evening" he announced at the start of our meal. I was somwhat disappointed, I must say. "I am merely going to serve you the banquet special offer meal, available in my own store, for only ten shillings per head. I think, however, that by the end of the supper you will agree that this is not just food - this is Cheapman's food!" he declared. We started with traditionally cured Water-Step Hill Lake gravlax salmon with creamy mustard and dill sauce. This was followed by hand prepared Whooshmeat with apple and sage stuffing wrapped in maple cured bacon, butter cabbage (one of Butterskin Mute's specialties) with apples and cranberry slow braised in red wine and tawny port sauce, and golden roast parsnips coated with wild flower honey and wholegrain mustard dressing. For pudding we had Jungle Cake, a rough cake full of dates and nuts, steeped in cognac. This was, indeed, a very special dessert as each of them contained a gold coin with my head on one side and Cheapman's on the other. For those still hungry, there were Scander biscuits with a selection of Badgertown cheeses. "Well, I must say that meal is remarkably good value" I told Cheapman "Even, given your reputation for supplying a bargain!" To be honest, I find it rather galling that, somehow, he manages to sell goods cheaper than my own stores! "Yeah, not bad mate!" declared Beaver, stuffing his face with cheese and biscuits, "But I would have preferred a drop of Black Tom to wash it down with - rather than that poncey 1787 Chateau Lafite - tasted mouldy to me!" What can one say? - the man is a philistine.