A Return Lunch at The Greenwich Pensioner

Many of you will have attended some of the excellent lunches that Persephone has organised for us over the last few years.  Now she has her own historic public house, and undertaken extensive renovations to bring it up to today’s standards. She reopened as a gastro pub last February and we had a top-notch lunch there in August.  It was excellent and a repeat visit has now been arranged.   There will be  a wonderful menu for us, based upon fresh locally sourced food from Mersea Island, where she lives, with a champagne aperitif and matched wines with each course.

Amuse Bouche – Smoked Salmon and Chicken Liver Pate canapés.

Starter – Seafood Pastiche including a couple of world famous Colchester Oysters (the beds are in Mersea).

Main Course – Duck Breast with cherry and port sauce; roast or mashed potato; seasonal veg.

Dessert – Chef’s Surprise – could be pancakes caramelised with fruit.  We will decide once we see what fruit the market has to offer.

Coffee – a choice of Espresso, Latte, Cappuccino and Mulberry Liqueur with Mulberry Liqueur Chocolates.

The Greenwich Pensioner was built in 1827, and is now a Grade II listed building.  The area was heavily bombed during WW2, and the pub was the only building left in the terrace.   Much like the Chelsea Pensioners who were retired army veterans, always seen in their distinctive scarlet coats, the original Greenwich pensioners lived at the Royal Hospital for Seamen in Greenwich, now the Old Royal Naval College, described as ‘the poshest pensioners home that ever was’. The first pensioners arrived in 1705 and by the end of the century there were more than 2,000 living there. The last pensioner left the Greenwich Hospital in 1869, but it remains to this day as a charitable organisation helping children of seafarers with education bursaries and providing sheltered housing for former Royal Navy servicemen.

Please let Persephone know when booking if you have any particular dietary requirements.

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Nearest Tube:            Blackwall and All Saints, DLR
Mobility Rating        1 – No steps, facilities also on the ground floor
Dress:                           Smart Casual
Organiser:                  Persephone Lewin  Tel: 07775 268 304
                                       Email: plewin@anchordevelopments.co.uk