Pie at Kilverts, Soup at the Pandy

I was taken out to lunch at Kilverts on Friday by some old friends. There's a new chef there, and he seems to be specialising in pies. The Steak and Ale pie was delicious, and so was the apple pie for afters (with a little bit of vanilla ice cream), and the fish pie looked very nice, too. The guest beer we chose was Snowy Beacons, from Buster Grant's Brecon brewery.
And on Saturday I was taken out again, this time to the Pandy in Dorstone. The last time I went there, the landlord was a South African chap - I think it's changed hands twice since then! However, it's still as cosy and pleasant as I remember it, and the British Rail sign pointing to the Gents is still there! We were welcomed by an elderly red setter (the entrance is round the back of the building). The French onion soup was lovely - just the thing on a day when the morning sun had disappeared behind thick grey clouds. Fortunately, we managed to see the castle before the rain started.