Lovely new restaurant that saved me from slaving over a hot stove

Last week, my daughter came down from Bristol to visit for a few days. This gave us the perfect excuse for a meal out and a break from my dull repetitive cooking.

Since I retired and Mrs B carried on working (though she’ll be retiring any day now) I have gained a full understanding of the problems faced by mums who have had for generations to spend a large part of their lives planning meals and sweating over hot stoves.

So, on Friday evening, at Mrs B’s suggestion, we took a stroll to the lower end of Bank Street for a remarkable Mediterranean eating experience. ‘What?, you say, ‘here in Ashford?’ ‘Most certainly’ I reply, at Shen’s new Mediterranean restaurant. The first thing that strikes is the decor. Whoever was responsible for the design and execution of the transformation from a bank to such a restaurant should receive an award of some kind. While we gazed around, we were greeted by the charming young lady, Dimitra, who led us to one of the semi-private booths along one wall and took our order for drinks.

The menu is extensive, with a great number of vegetarian dishes included among the mezzes (that, I learned, is starters to you and me) and there are four veggie choices among the main meals.

My daughter made her choice from the main menu, while Mrs B and I shared a Shen’s set menu which comprised 18 (yes, 18) individual items. We were served by Nuri, a gentle giant, who was happy to set us up with a doggy bag to bring home the vast amount of food that we were unable to get through and which provided a meal for the three of us the following day.

On the subject of restaurants, I have to say that the Ashford Cafe at the upper end of Bank Street, is run by one of the kindliest men you could hope to meet. It is rare to find someone in business who will gently spend time with elderly or confused people without in any way making it seem an imposition.

The first time I became aware of this man’s good heart was one morning last winter when a young lady who was dressed for summer was shivering at a bus stop. He came out of his cafe and invited her to wait inside in the warm for her bus.