Cams Mill - Fareham

                         A starter platter and lovely decor really makes this venue!


It was over to Gemma for Junes meeting, and she chose The Cams Mill in Fareham. This venue has received mixed reviews, so the group were excited and intrigued to check this one out for size!! First impressions were good. It being a lovely evening, we decided to wait for all the members who could attend outside for a lovely refreshing drink. Situated near the Cams Creek area, we were treated to a pleasant view, although had the tide have been in, it would have been even more tranquil!!

First look at the menu and for some, it was a little difficult to find something that particularly wowed for some tastes (and for those who had just announced they were expecting!!) The menu is small to allow for the kitchen to cope, but perhaps a little more variety would have helped! It was not easy to be enticed by the starters, so the group decided to go for a sharing platter, in order to meet the Grubgang £25 rule and save ourselves some money! This proved to be a knock out idea for the group, who all loved the Hampshire Hog which in Daves words was "To Die For!" It was lovely to have a mix of pork pie, chicken and thick cut ham and was just enough to get the mouth watering.

Our mains were just as delicious and of a high quality. Gemma opted for a burger which was very juicy and lovely with a sesame and poppy seed bun, served with home made coleslaw which was a perfect touch. However, she did feel that the chips could have been a bit crispier for her taste. Dave tucked into a  very juicy burger and the home made coleslaw was nice too! The bacon however, was way overdone and salty; more like salty pork jerky than bacon. The cheese was overcooked too(!). Chips were home made and very nice, a nice change not to have manufactured chips with a meal!
Clair was impressed with her sausage and mash, although they were a little too peppery for her taste, despite the baby being very active with each mouthful!! (A Grub Gang member in the making!!)

And so to desserts. The Chocolate Brownie proved a hit with Clair and Dave. It was  just the right balance between light and fluffy and thick and chewy in the middle. The salted caramel ice cream scoop was a perfect accompliment to the dessert! Gemma tried one of the special desserts of the day, an Eton Mess.  It was lovely with cream, meringue and strawberries with a pistachio crumb on top - lovely !

The staff were warm, friendly and up for banter, which made the experience even more enjoyable and the facilities, although small and over powered with the smell of lillies, were clean. Nice to have fresh flowers in  the ladies though!! Gemma had booked online, meaning she was also entitled to a free drink, so an extra insentive there.

Marks out of 10............................................................ 9 (Gemma Wickens)