Burger In The Woods

A short while back I found myself in Symonds Yat, an impossibly scenic village which straddles the River Wye as it cuts an ancient path through the Forest of Dean in England.  Now, when I say “found myself” there, I mean was dragged there by none other than Miss Meathead (she won’t love that name). 

This is not uncommon for our weekends. You see, Miss Meathead loves being outdoors doing physically exhausting things and she is undeterred by weather of any kind. A lifetime of Welsh wind and rain has left her hardened to the elements and somehow she always convinces me to come along. It is not a weekend unless I’m soaking wet, freezing, gasping for air or all of the above. Yet, after going through something similar to the stages of grief, I inevitably reach acceptance and beyond. The natural beauty found in these parts means the journey is always worth the view at the end.

Such was the case on this particular day. Only this time, the reward for our efforts was much more than a view. It was a burger. More than that, it was a burger that falls somewhere on the list of the best I've had on this side of the Atlantic.

Better yet, this burger was not planned, but stumbled upon after several hours of walking which included an awkward descent into the Wye Valley which I managed with all the grace of a bear on skates.

The River Wye

The River Wye forms a natural border between the two English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire and also splits Symonds Yat into two areas. Symonds Yat West is on the Herefordshire side and sports, among other things, a Butterfly Zoo (I dunno)…Symonds Yat East is on the Gloucestershire side and is the home of the Saracens Head, home of a fantastic welsh beef burger which, with respect, I did not expect to find tucked away in the sticks.

Miss Meathead herself, crossing over to the Saracens Head

To get to the Saracens Head from the other side of the river there is a little boat which is pulled over a wire, from one side to the other, all day long. It was operated by a friendly chap who had the calm demeanour and lack of urgency one might expect from the dude manning the village boat.

The Welsh Beef Burger | Saracens Head Pub | Symonds Yat, England, UK

The burger itself was well proportioned (the science behind burger proportions is a topic for another day). It used a red cheddar cheese which had just the right “goo factor”. It finished it off with some red onion, tomatoes and an unidentified sauce that tasted of a spicy ketchup. It was a harmoniously savoury to say the least.

The best compliment I can give the burger is that I’d do that walk again just to eat it. Miss Meathead had some mussels which I don’t have a pictures of but, ya know, if you’ve seen one mussel, you’ve seen them all.

-meathead