LAVENDER FIELDS AND A KENT COUNTRYSIDE SUNDAY LUNCH

So today we did something a little bit different, we headed into Kent to visit a lovely little place, The Hop Shop at Castle Farm. They are a small family run farm that produces a variety of home grown goods - from the lavender we went to see, to apples, pumpkins, hops, and even their own beef herd.

While there, we decided to do a tour of their lavender fields. Since we went on a Sunday, it only cost £5 per ticket, so not too bad! We got to see a couple of their lavender fields, where we were taught something quite interesting - the difference between lavender and lavandin. Besides the difference in the stems (lavandin has branches, where lavender is a straight stem with one flower on the end), there are also chemical differences. Lavandin actually has a chemical that will wake you up, rather than make you sleepy, which is something that people will use lavender for. So take note of that if ever buying lavender products for sleeping purpose - make sure to check the label!

There are only 4 farms that are officially able to call their lavender true "English Lavender" and The Hop Shop is one of them. They sell a lot of the lavender oil (which they distil themselves on site) for use in high-end perfumes and essential oils.

It was such a beautiful day to walk out in and around the fields, such beautiful colors! For a second I almost thought I could be in Provence...wishful thinking I guess! ;)

Once we were all lavendered out, we decided to find a little country pub nearby to stop and have some lunch. After getting lost amongst some tiny, narrow, and nerve racking country lanes, we finally stumbled upon a little pub called The Two Brewers.

Now when it comes to Sunday lunch, the Brits take this very seriously - lunch on Sunday's should be a typical roast, complete with meat (beef, lamb, or chicken), an assortment of roast vegetables (potatoes should ALWAYS be roasted, not mashed), a Yorkshire pudding (which isn't a pudding at all, more like a bread thing), and gravy.

As an American, I have never really "got" the whole Sunday roast thing, but being married to Brit, we make sure to get Jake a "proper roast" every now and then. Ever since I made him one at home that was more "Californian/American" inspired, complete with a yummy salad and the wrong types of vegetables (how is asparagus wrong?!), we always go out to a pub instead...

I asked Jake to rate the Sunday roast at The Tweo Brewers. He said it was very good, very much like a homemade roast. One that he wouldn't have a problem eating again. So if you are in Kent and search for a homemade Sunday roast, in a cute little countryside town, The Two Brewers is a good choice!