Culinary Artist at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, Theo Mannie yet again on his game with the updated bistro menu sure to engage and delight even the fussiest eater.

The splendid a la Carte menu covers every food fantasy with its mouth-watering dishes.

Starters include meaty or vegetable soup; salmon and trout fishcake; Thai Malay prawns with rice noodles; garlic and blue cheesy snails; mini beef meat balls and confit brown mushroom salad.

Mains feature a selection of burgers all served with chips or salad and include crumbed chicken burger, flame grilled BBQ beef or chicken, BBQ pulled pork, crumbed brown mushroom, roasted veggie burger as well as the option of building your own burger with any four toppings from bacon, feta, cheddar, mozzarella, jalapeno, peppadew chutney and tomato chutney as well as additional sauces.

The Meaty menu range is beef fillet, BBQ pork rashes, thyme marinated lamb chops, herbed chicken schnitzel, fish of the day, pan seared lemon butterfish, gourmet pulled brisket brioche, slow roast chicken brioche or the vegetarian option of gourmet cheese and onion brioche.

A huge variety of plated mains by Culinary Artist Theo Mannie includes that of chickpea and lentil curry, pan-seared chicken supreme, orzo prawn pasta, tagliatelle, ground beef stroganoff, red bean jambalaya, curry of the week, pie of the week, Asian pork ribs, creamy mushroom gnocchi or penne pasta. There additional sides and extra sauces should you wish to add to these delicious meal options.

Should you still have room you have to try the dessert options, chocolate and coffee torte, deconstructed banoffee pie, baked cheese cake, chocolate brownies, cheese board selection, spiced sponge carrot cake, trio of home-made ice cream or a trio of home-made sorbet.

That’s not all, we also have a host of weekly specials, to provide that extra bit of value, with some offerings allowing for a selected starter or main, or main and dessert for R215 per person. If you order any of burgers and pasta dishes, its 50% off the menu price, seven days a week. Please note however if you share plated food a surcharge of R75 will be billed and dishes may contain traces of nuts.

Make your reservation today by emailing Granny Mouse Country House & Spa on  reservations@grannymouse.co.za or contact us on 033 234 4071.

“At Granny Mouse Country House and Spa, we love our beautiful gardens that grow exquisitely throughout the year”, says Granny Mouse Country House & Spa General Manager, Sean Granger. “We also love to grow our own herbs, which not only smell gorgeous, but are used in our culinary art which we are super proud of!” he added.

If you don’t have a big garden, and no matter how small your deck, patio, porch or window sill is, there is no excuse not to grow herbs, which bring with them an extra dimension of beauty with their colours, fragrances and textures as well as providing divine flavours and nutritional value.

Some potted herbs that are perfect for small places that we recommend to grow at home are as followed:

• One of our favourites is Basil, which is an annual herb and grows super well in a sunny spot. Easy enough to plant from seed, make sure you water well during our hot and humid summer days, but not at night. Basil is perfect in salads, pasta dishes and, of course, to make pesto.

• Parsley, another firm favourite for many of us, can grow inside and outside, thriving in pots, and you can harvest regularly. Parsley also grows super well with Basil, but remember when potting – a little shade in summer and a sunny spot in winter. It’s a fantastic herb to downplay the pungency of garlic dishes.

• Then there is Mint – what a delightful smell. And interesting to know there are so many varieties too. They spread easily and best grown in large pots and not in gardens. Mint really grows well under a dripping tap, as the water keeps the compost and soil moist and makes it grow like crazy. Try keeping the plant in part shade if you can. Keep cutting, and see how it just keeps on growing. Great with lamb, couscous and bulgur wheat salads and even in a refreshing summer drink.

• Another herb that loves a window sill are Chives, just make sure you don’t forget to water. They do live for a good few seasons and are perfect chopped up and added to salads, stews and any meat dishes.

• A bay leaf is an evergreen tree that can become enormous if left unpruned. Plant your bay leaf tree in a large colourful pot and place near a sunny window. It really is a pretty tree and you can use fresh or dried in your soups, stews, casseroles or even curries, adding a lovely flavour to your dishes.

So give it a bash, and add some greenery and lovely fragrances to your kitchen and home while enjoying nutritional value from these superb herbs!