The Wight Smoke, San, Sandown (2026)

05/09/2026

I wanted to introduce a new "family member" to you all 😀

I've had a spirit in mind for quite some time now and it has finally materialised. I think it complements my whole offer really well for that true Polish experience be it meats, sausages smoked cheese or...vodka! Not a typical run of the mill one but a sweetgrass vodka made locally for me by the experts from Isle of Wight Gin Company

You might have tried what's often called a bison grass vodka before - possibly served with apple juice. I will dare to say that mine is better - top quality vodka, long macerating time, locally made and I think it looks stunning too!

It will be made in small batches only. Pop in to my stall at Wolverton Manor Garden Fair tomorrow if you'd like one! 😀

Those of you who got it today I hope you like it as much as I do 😁👍

I called it DYM, I'm not telling you what it means in Polish but "the clue is in the name", or you can Google it 😁

05/09/2026

It is the Wolverton Manor Garden Fair today (and tomorrow). My stall has a new addition, can you spot it? 😁

31/08/2026

Some food cravings I get don't solely revolve around Polish food (obviously). I have been craving a good Vietnamese takeaway for quite a few months now. I know we get all the usual Chinese takeaways on the island but they didn't seem to fill that void I have.

I discovered Vietnamese food while at uni in Jelenia Góra when scouring a now gone but still legendary market called Flora (picture of it courtesy of Google) , and there was a Vietnamese bar, called Thang Long, right in the middle of it. It was cheap and cheerful homecooked food made by a really lovely Mr Lee. It was the first time for me trying oriental food and I I will always remember the free crushed chillies that were on the table next to salt and pepper. As any young man I thought I was bulletproof and immune to heat&spice but I was quickly taught a very valuable lesson.

Two soups - spicy prawn and mild crab as well as some spicy beef accompanied by some wheat craft beer and followed by a redcurrant cake. What's not to like apart from incoming diabetes?

29/08/2026

Energylandia, a theme park with the most rollercoasters in Europe. Got to keep the teenagers happy otherwise they start to rebel. Not much to report, it's a theme park, you've been to one of them you've been to all of them. I was dreading the standard burger&chips meal there but it turned out they had some grilled sausages so had to go for that. Fottlong, toasted baguette, ketchup and mustard. Simple solutions are the best.

For the proper meal later on I went for another Polish classic - żurek which is a fermented rye soup served with white sausage and a boiled egg and a Polish take on the schnitzel made from pork loin rather than veal. Huge, tasty and satisfyingly home style cooking.

Now, whenever you see "zestaw surówek" on the menu just add them to your main meal. It's usually a trio of differently flavoured, thinly chopped/grated vegetables. You can see them in the second picture on the left: grated cabbage with caraway seeds, carrot with apple, beetroot with onion and vinegar. Different restaurants will often do slightly different variations. You can often get them ready made at greengrocers or regular shops to take home for dinner. The veg are usually mixed with a bit of oil as that helps your body absorb the nutrients better.

28/08/2026

Maczanka (machanka) krakowska. If you visit Kraków this should be on your food bucket list. Considered one of the first Polish street foods as its origins go back to the 1800s. Apparently it was mostly eaten by the horse carriage drivers who needed a quick meal but didn't have the time for a sit down one and needed something hot and filling to go.
It is a slow cooked pork shoulder with lots of caraway seeds, marjoram and onions with added lard for more flavour.

The name could be translated as a "dipper" as the crusty roll is cut in half and the inside of it is dipped in the rich onion gravy the meat was cooked in and only then it is filled with the falling apart meat.

There are loads of modern varieties of it now and the place I got it from served with cheese&Jalapeño or bacon etc but I went for the classic one - just the crusty roll dipped in onion gravy, loads of pork and some gherkins on top.

I often make pulled pork and it is similar in a way but a completely different flavour profile. More earthy, natural and very Polish thanks to marjoram. I will definitely be making this at some point - the recipe couldn't be easier and follows the low&slow cooking principles. Whack the meat and spices in an oven or slow cooker, temp of 90c and few hours later the meat is so tender it just falls apart and is ready to serve.

26/08/2026

Kraków, (pronounce as Krahkoof), used to be the capital of Poland for just over 500 years until one of the kings moved it to Warszawa (Varshava) in the 16th century. The indigenous Krakovians will to this day make dry jokes and comments aimed at those from Warszawa such as i.e. a sign on a wall in a restroom that reads "We would like to remind our guests from the new capital about washing their hands after using toilet facilities".
Kraków has always been seen as a mekka for artists, poets, actors, intellectuals and philosophers while Warszawa serves as a financial and political centre of Poland. Kraków is an artistic and cultural capital with a truly bohemian soul.
We arrived late and only had the chance to quickly visit the old town/rynek. When you first visit there avoid, as you always should, the restaurants in the main square and instead, get an obwarzanek krakowski ( say obvahzahnek krakovskee) often mistaken for a pretzel, from one of the pretzel stands there and just have stroll around the square while munching on it. Obwarzanek has a round, braided shape while pretzel often looks like the digit 8. Interestingly the Jewish beigel was also first made in Kraków. The obwarzanek has been sold there for the last 600 years so that is the proper way of experiencing Kraków rather than ordering a steak or pesto pasta at one of the square's restaurants. Those obwarzanek carts are often manned by pensioners who are subsidising their pensions as this work does not require any heavy lifting and they can start early. The obwarzanek will also undoubtedly summon the millions of pigeons who will quite happily sit on your arm or shoulder like a pirate's parrot so you can have a nice picture in exchange for some of the obwarzanek.
Now, did you know that once you've had your obwarzanek you can continue your stroll with an ice cream in your hand and it will be an equally satisfying experience?

25/08/2026

It is hard to beat a good Polish bakery. Apart from all the sourdough breads, rolls etc you will find all those cakes and pastries that whisper temptations right into your ear.

I wanted to introduce a "drożdżówka" (say Drozjoovkah) to you on this occasion. The name could be loosely translated as "a ye**ty" and comes in various forms I. E. with fruit, sweet cream cheese or poppy seeds. When you see them in UK they may often seem to be quite a high end pastry but the reality is that in Poland they are often a quick snack at work or school. Something you quickly pop in to a bakery to grab on the cheap. I remember getting some change at times from parents to get myself a drożdżówka at school. Some posh pattiseries try to sell them at extortionate prices claiming the fruit for them was picked at full moon and only by annointed virgins. The reality is they are just a fruit bun often with some buttery crumble on top. Still bloody lovely though!
My favourite one is the bilberry/wild blueberries as in the first pic, 👌

24/08/2026

Bautzen or, as known in Polish, Budziszyn. I remember this town's name mainly from history lessons as some major peace treaty was signed there in the eleventh century between Poland and Germany (or equivalent at that time). For some reason memorising that date (and a whole list of other important dates) was crucial for my education and future overall.
It was less than an hour away from our main base so we decided on a short days trip there. It reminded me a little bit of Brugges with its medieval character. One day is plenty for this town but I'd say it is worth your time. The highlight was dinner in a medieval restaurant - the building was a renovated 600years old inn with great medieval feel to it. No pizzas, no exotic drinks, just simple local food served on clay plates by staff dressed in clothes from that era.
We decided to share the plates (something I usually loathe doing but I wanted to try too many things from their menu). Garlic soup was a bit odd for me, edible, nice but wouldn't have it again. The local speciality, mustard soup, was great though and I'd gladly have it again. The main dishes were too much even for me though, the portions were huge and not for those who already had the soup. Beef in horseradish sauces and pork ribs cooked in sauerkraut. Both served with potato dumplings called "pyzy" in Poland. We had to accept our imperfections and we never managed to clear our plates. Absolutely great main dishes though!

24/08/2026

I never got the chance to try the original Sachertorte when in Vienna, ridiculous queue to what felt like a conveyor belt cafe. Yes, it was the original cafe but felt like a factory. We popped in to one of the many cafes in Bautzen for some coffee and when I saw the sacher torte there I had to go for it. My kind of a cake, not overly sweet, sophisticated and pure class, just like me.
The girls opted for some abomination called ice cream spaghettis, as if you really had to reinvent ice cream to encourage kids and teenagers to eat them.

23/08/2026

German autobahns really hit differently. I used to hate a stretch of it where it was just around 250 kilometers of driving in a near straight line. That's 155 miles, essentially Portsmouth to London and back. Well, they have clearly improved things and to my panic I saw 430km on the sat nav on the stretch I had just joined. That's more that Portsmouth to Hartlepool. I mean I love the cruise control feature but driving in a near straight line and just gently turning the wheel occasionally is purely mind numbing 😁

To make things even worse my daughter persuaded me to get sushi on our arrival. Despite my previous failed attempts at trying to like it I agreed and proved to myself that I still did not like it. My mantra that meat or fish that is not fully cooked could still be brought to life by a half decent vet still stands strong and I'll debate anyone who disagrees. It looked beautiful though, if only the flavour matched its looks. My daughter devoured hers though 🍣🍤🍣

The Wight Smoke

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

31/08/2026

29/08/2026

28/08/2026

26/08/2026

25/08/2026

24/08/2026

24/08/2026

23/08/2026

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