Just a couple of kilometres away is an out-of-town restaurant/grocer/delicatessen/brewery called the Agrestic Grocer and was our choice for a midday bite to eat. The restaurant had just finished serving breakfast so we timed it well for lunch just after the busy morning session this Easter Monday.

The rarely used word ‘Agrestic’ means ‘of the country’ and it is certainly appropriate in this regard. Using locally sourced country produce, the menu varies daily depending on what raw ingredients are available. On the special menu today was, amongst others, a silverside toastie with Swiss cheese, pickles, garden salad and sliced chips – Catherine’s choice and a cold pumpkin and pear soup with toasted sunflower seeds and sourdough bread. The soup was delicious and may have been even better if it had been served hot as, apparently, it should have been. A tempting selection of home made cakes was also on display – too tempting in my case was a blackberry and Greek yogurt cake.

A good range of local wines, beers and cider as well as vegetables, cheese, jams, relishes and fruit could also be purchased. Certainly a popular store for the folk of Orange, passing travellers and those like us on an enforced extended stay.

OBG

Well fed, we drove the short distance to the Orange Botanic Gardens. We had read online comments suggesting the gardens were less than well established but we would argue against that.