Too full for dessert! W

LOVED by drinkers around the world, St Patrick’s Day celebrations rarely come in small measures.

To raise a glass to the land of the shamrock on Saturday, March 17, here are a couple of whiskey cocktails that are easy to master ... and lovely to drink!

To kick off St Patrick’s Day revelry, Jameson have released Jameson St Patrick’s Day Limited Edition (currently reduced to £17 from £22.50 for 70cl, Tesco) to celebrate the “soul, warmth and wit of the Irish character”. With a label featuring a soaring eagle, and silhouette of three friends rallying around banners and symbols representing Irish tribes of past and present, it’s sure to inspire modern-day adventurers to come together and enjoy this approachable spirit.

50ml Jameson Irish Whiskey, ginger ale, large wedge of lime.

Fill a high ball glass with ice. Add the Jameson, top with ginger ale, stir briefly to mix. Take a large wedge of lime, give it a squeeze and drop it into the glass. Very refreshing! HEN a day off also lands on a snow day, where better to while away a few hours than your warm and cosy

I was on a lieu day and my partner’s boss shut the doors for the day, so it was on with the walking boots and up to the Travellers Rest.

The Travellers, in Hopton Lane, Mirfield, is a traditional country pub – and they lit the wood burner specially for us as we walked in.

It was early afternoon and we were the only customers in the place. It was bleak outside, of course, with the Beast from the East raging.

We emerged into the pub, muffled up against the snow, and chose the table closest to the fire, which was soon roaring and pumping out heat.

A couple of pints of Yorkshire Blonde were ordered while we perused the menu.

The menu is extensive and warming. It’s just what you want to find in a pub restaurant on the coldest day of the winter.

We’d already checked out the menu online but it still took us time to make a choice. My partner Sian decided and then undecided. As you do.

“Are you ready to order?” asked the waitress.

“Well, we were. Erm, could you come back in a bit?” said I.

There was a bit more stoking of the fire before we gave our orders.

We decided the Winter Warming Platter (£12) to share was the way to go for starters while I went for the Pork and Ale Sausages with Horseradish Mash (£10) and Sian the Slow Roasted BBQ Chicken Breast (£12).

The portions are generous and the platter was more than a plateful each.

There was a melted mushroom and cheese dipping pot with chicken Parmesan renders, garlic bread sticks and rarebit toast.

The dipping pot was lovely and we tucked in ravenously.

Also on this huge platter was oven baked potato slices topped with sweet-cured bacon and melted cheese. Phew, pretty full already. So, onto the mains. My sausages were locallysourced and chunky and came with crisp onion rings and gravy. But it was the horseradish mash that made the meal.

I’m always partial to the bite of horseradish and it was a superb combination with the smoothest of mashed potato.

Sian’s chicken breast was perfectly-cooked with a sweet barbecue sauce.

It came with pork and ale sausage stuffing and was served with slaw and tiger fries.

Regular readers of my food reviews (yes, I have at least one fan – hello Pete from Cleckheaton) will know I like a dessert.

But, shock horror, I was too full to even attempt one.

Oh, I was sorely tempted, of course. And I’ll probably have to go back and start with a dessert. But we were just too full and thought we’d never make it back the half a mile or so home on foot if we filled our bellies to bursting. This is a first for me. No dessert! Traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding, Raspberry Jam Sponge or Winter Eton Mess Sundae? Any one of those would have been gratefully received.

Ah well, there’ll have to be a next time.

The Travellers was taken over by the friendly Jan Shotton and husband John last July and it’s their first pub venture.

They got a new chef a few weeks ago and the food was certainly a big step forward from my last visit, so if you haven’t been in a while I recommend you do.

I won’t be waiting for the next snow day to visit my ‘local.’

In fact, I’ll be consulting the rota for my next day off.