Half Moon News
Latest News
- January Sale at The Half Moon!
2023 is here!
To get the new year under way – we have a great special offer in place to help lift any January blues you may have.
With the cost of everything rising we have a special January sale menu – including great Half Moon melplash favourites.
For £20.23 we are offering 2 courses for 2 people!
Just to say that again £20.23 will get you 2 courses for 2 people from our January offer menu!
It really is a very special January offer – which is avaliable through out January at Lunchtime (not Sundays).
Bookings are recommended – but not essential. The best way to book is using the reserve a table on the website – or call 01308 488321.
Our regular Menu & specials board is also running alongside our offer – to give you the ultimate Half Moon Melplash visit.
It really is the best reason to pop in and see us & get a great tasting, amazing value meal – we are looking forwrd to seeing you!
- Ring Ring Ring – Phone line down!
Our Phone Line in down – but we are not out!
BT aren’t able to help until Monday 19th December – which seems an age away.
To book a table with us – please click on the reserve a table button
To order Take out or Delivery – please click on the order Half Moon take away button
We can answer enquires via email – info@halfmoon.pub or bookings@halfmoon.pub
We do have a temporary phone line 01308 888155 & occasionaly our real number works 01308 488321
We really do want to hear from you …….
- It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s Christmas – at The Half Moon ….
With our team busy in the pub preparing for all of your Christmas parties and for your Christmas Day meals (dine in & take out) there is lots of festive activies going on.
I just wanted to take a moment, sat by our christmas tree, with a glass of festive fizz, to thank all of our hard working team for their efforts over the year. They are such a great bunch of people who bring fresh ideas & lots of enthusiasm with them and they have become part of our Half Moon family.
I also want to thank you – our fantastic supporters over these last 3 1/2 years. We have seen some great times & made some fantasitic memories – looking forward to making many, many more!
There is still time to order your Christmas Day meal with us here at The Half Moon (deadline wednesday 21st December). Just click on the Christmas link or email info@halfmoon.pub Our phone line is not working at the moment – but if you need to call please try 01308 888155 or 01308 488321.
- Jubilee Weekend at The Half Moon
Celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee 2nd to the 5th June, here at the Half Moon, we have quiet a lot planned!
We begin on Thursday the 2nd of June with food served 12pm – 2.30pm. Our evening food offering will be a BBQ inspired menu – featuring some Half Moon favourites & some Jubilee specials. This will be avaliable 5.30pm – 8.30pm and is looking to be very popular – booking is recommeded to avoid dissapointment www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk!
For those wishing to walk up to the lighting of the Jubilee beacon on the Hicknowle estate, the beacon is being lit at 9.45pm to kick off the start of the weekend celebrations. The beacon may be visible from the front of the pub – so you maybe able to watch whilst enjoying a pint, without the walking!
Jubilee IPA avaliable at The Half Moon Melplash Friday – is national Fish & Chips day! – So why not get your Fish & Chips here, or a tasty bite & a great pint or 2! Food is served 12pm – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 8.30pm. Cream teas are avaliable 2pm – 5pm – Again – please book!
Saturday – we celebrate with Cocktails! What better way to enjoy thhis long weekend than in the Sunshine with a glass of Pimms or a pint of Palmers Brewery Jubilee IPA! Food will be served 12pm – 2.30pm & 5.30pm – 8.30pm.
We have Long Dog performing with us Saturday from 6.30pm – Come on down & enjoy!
Long Dog will be performing with us 6,30pm Saturday Sunday – will be our Sunday Roast served 12pm – 3pm which is looking to be a busy day – again – please book to be sure of a table www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk
We will be hosting our quiz Sunday evening too – to book your teams table – call 01308 488321
All that is left to be said is that we are looking forward to seeing you all & enjoying this Jubilee weekend – and thank you to our team for all of their hard work!
- The Half Moon at Melpash, 2022 Good Food Award winner – Blue Ribbon
Wow ! – We are super pleased to have been awarded the Blue Ribbon for Gastro Pubs in 2022.
We are so proud of our hard working team who work tirelessly to provide the warmest welcome to all of our customers & who ensure they provide the best customer service you will find in West Dorset .
Our Menus showcase the best local produce in our local area. West Dorset really is a place to be proud of. With Gelato from Salwayash, Baboo Gelato, Fish from Bridport’s Davy’s Locker & not forgetting our brewery – JC & RH Palmers of Bridport – the oldest thatched brewery in the UK! Check out this link for more information on the Good Food Award by clicking here.
Did you know – voting is open for the next year! We’d be very grateful if you click here to vote for us – thank you!
- Ahoy! Bridport Broadsides are back at The Half Moon!
Wednesday 20th April is a day to put in your diary!
The talented Bridport Broadsides Sea Shanty Crew return to The Half Moon Melplash for another evening of music & tales from the sea. I’m sure favourite songs, such as Wellerman, Leave Her Johnny & Drunken Sailor will be part of the evening.
Bridport, Beaminster & the surrounding areas are so very lucky to have such a talented group and we are very happy to host the Broadsides as the evenings always attract a great crowd. A pleasurable evening is had by all!
As always – we recommend booking a table for the eveing – we are a small country pub – (but big in personality!) So Don’t Miss Out!
01308 488321 – www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk Click here to book.
Check out the Broadside FaceBook page for more information! Click here.
- New Lunch & Dinner Menus!
Photo Credit – Demand the Shoot – Grace Catton With the beginning of April – we launched our spring menu!
With a mixture of Half Moon favourites & some seasonal new dishes our menu is already proving to be popular.
Our Ramblers Lunch menu, features lighter lunches, tasty rolls, and our Half Moon burgers as well as our dessert menu. This menu is served Wednesday to Saturday 12pm – 2pm.
Ramblers lunch 01.04.2022 Our evening menu is a mixture of Pub classics, featuring some exciting new dishes including our Shish Kebab, our Half Moon burgers and Half Moon favourites including our 8oz Sirloin steak 7 our Smoked Seafood platter.
Evening Menu 01.04.2022 Our garden marquee & beer garden are now both open – a fantastic place to sit and enjoy a refreshing pint & a bite to eat with great countryside views.
Our wonderful garden – view from the marquee Our Sunday menu is a traditional plated Sunday roast – served 12pm – 3pm. Booking is recommended as inside seating is limited. Our garden & marquee area are open & provide a great place to enjoy a pint and a bite to eat.
Sunday menu – 3rd April 2022 To book your inside table – book via the book a table button on our website or call 01308 488321
- Quiz Nights return to The Half Moon!
After a challenging few years, we are bringing back our popular Pub Quiz.
Our next quiz is March 13th 2022. Bar opens at 6pm and the quiz will begin at 6:30pm
Teams no more than 6 people, with an entrance fee of £10 per team – we reccomend that teams book a table in advance to avoid dissapointment.
With a great mix of general knowledge questions & a game of ‘Last man Standing’ at the end, it looks to be another great event.
Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place!
Go on – call 01308 488321 to book your table!
- Taste of the West Gold Award – 2022 – Dining Pub!
We are over the (Half) Moon to have recieved our grading from Taste of the West today as part of their 2022 Hospitality & Retail Awards.
For the third year in a row, we have been awarded the Gold Award in the Dining Pub category. A fantastic achievement and we are so proud of our hard working team.
Taste of the West Gold Award – Dining Pub – The Half Moon, Melplash Launched in 1991, the Taste of the West is the largest independent food group which supports & promotes local food producers & the businesses who serve & sell these quality products. The Taste of the West award is an anual accreditation which ensures the quality of the establishments stays high.
Here at The Half Moon, we proudly work with fantastic local producers. Our menu features many delights. The list of producers is long, however our fantasic meats are from Jurassic Coast Meats, thier Fossil farm – just outside Dorchester, Our fish is supplied from Davy’s Locker in Bridport, Our dessert menu features the wonderful Baboo gelato. This is only some of the great producers! Our bar also represents local gems, including local Gins from Lyme Bay Winery, locally produced Vodka from Black Cow & Liberty Fields, and our ale from our brewery – JC & RH Palmers of Bridport.
We love Dorset. It’s simple, & here at The Half Moon, we like to showcase the best of Dorset. So whatever has brought you to Dorset, be it work or lesiure, we hope to show you the best bits whilst visiting our wonderful country pub.
The ethos of Taste of the West is of qulity, integrity & provenence.
We will be proudly displaying our Gold Award inside the pub, alomgside our previous years gold awards.
Below, are a few links to some of our local suppliers, all award winning & remarkable in their own way – and well worth a click on their links.
- Live Music is Back at The Half Moon!
A date for your diary …… Bridport Broadsides Sea Shanty crew are coming to The Half Moon.
Here at The Half Moon, we have always loved live music & jump at the chance to have local groups come to perform at our wonderful pub. So we are really excited to be welcoming the Bridport Broadsides Sea Shanty Crew back to perfom this coming Wednesday 23rd February. We will be open for both food & drink on the evening of Wednesday 23rd February, and the Broadsides are expected for 7:30pm.
Those of you who are familiar with our wonderful pub, will understand that only have limited seating so to be sure not to miss out please book a table – either call on 01308 488321 or click on the reserve a table button. Our food menu will also be avaliable for those of you who would like a bite to eat whilst being entertained.
We are very much looking forward to Wednesday evening!
- The return of Small Plates
Launching this week – the return of our Lighter Lunches menu.
Wil the days seeming a little brighter, and our opening hours now extended to 5 days a week, our Lighter lunches menu has returned. Updated daily, these tasty treats are the perfect lunchtime size to enjoy in our wonderful cosy pub. Dishes will feature pub classics as well as tasty Street food inspired snacks.
Our Lighter lunches are served along side our regular lunchtime menu, and are avaliable Wednesday – Saturday 12pm – 2pm. Paied with a pot of tea or a barista coffee, we think that this is the perfect way to treat yourself.
As always – booking is not required, however to be surre not to miss out – call 01308 488321 or click the reserve a table button at the bottom right hand corner …
- Celebrate Valentine’s with us!
This year, we are celebrating Valentine’s on Saturday 12th February.
Our Valentine’s offer is 2 of our 8oz Sirloin steaks (with the trimmings!) and a drink on us – bookable in advance via our website (click the button) or call 01308 488321
We think this is the perfect way to celebrate with that special person, in our cosy pub.
Fear not, if a one of our amazing steaks is not for you, we will be serving our regular menu and specials as well however – we recommed booking.
- 2021 Review – July to December
Looking back at all that the Half Moon team achieved in the first part of 2021, I’d just like to say Well Done! It was incredibly hard at times & our team rose to the challenge like the superstars that we know they are.
Having covered January to June in the previous blog entry, we pick up with July. The sun shone, the beer was cold & the cocktails (and Mocktails) flowed. The marquee was full every evening with people enjoying Palmer’s Brewery real ale, our refreshing cocktails & great food. A good time was had by all. July also saw further relaxations of the covid guidelines which was great news for all, although we continued to keep some of the guidelines to ensure the safety of our team & our customers.
August began with our Landlord Jamie’s birthday and what a way to celebrate than with a long over due staff gathering. Steak, Jamie’s favourite was cooked to perfection and the rum (also Jamie’s favourite) was enjoyed. A few heads were sore the following day however the happy memories were more than worth it.
August was a very busy month, welcoming visitors from near & far during the summer holidays. It gave all of the team a real sense of satisfaction seeing all our customers enjoying their visits to us & being able to enjoy finally eating & drinking inside a pub! It wouldn’t be an honest review of the year, if we didn’t acknowledge the staffing shortages that faced the hospitality industry during the summer season. Like most other establishments we faced issues when it came to filling seasonal posts, however our core team once again rose to the challenge. Thank you again!
September marked the beginning of our partnership with a local shoot. Often twice a week our team provided catering for three meals for guests who had travelled to take part in these organised days. These days enabled us to focus on our game offering on our menu with delicious dishes which included Venison Bourguignon and Pheasant with Partridge Ballontine.
Venisin Bourguignon September also saw an invite to the Dorset Tourism Awards ceremony to meet other winners and the awards sponsors. It was a great evening at Sculptures by the Lake (https://www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/) a stunning location, with wonderful hospitality – definitely worth visiting if you can. It was lovely to be invited to meet other participants and take part in an event that we had thought may not have happened due to the pandemic.
Photo credit Dorset Tourism 2020 October saw a visit from the Bridport Broadsides, a local Sea Shanty group. It was a fantastic evening, cosy & warm around the open fire in our cosy bar. A great time was enjoyed by all & we look forward to their next visit. https://www.facebook.com/groups/167406704576724/about
Bridport Broadsides During the October half term, we took our family for a trip to Bincombe Bumps to pick our own pumpkins to decorate the pub with for Halloween. Bincombe was organised really well & despite the chilly weather, we returned with a great selection of pumpkins. Our children really enjoyed carving the pumpkins which we displayed.
November saw the launch of our new Winter menu. Firm favourites were alongside new dishes and classic ones. Popular dishes have been our homemade Chicken Kiev and our Sous Vide Duck breast.
Alongside our winter menu, we launched our winter cocktail list to incorporate seasonal flavours and winter warmers. We also extended our range of locally produced products. The Lyme Bay Winter Gin has been very popular and pairs perfectly with a Fever Tree Tonic.
In November we were notified that we had been nominated for the Best Game Pub as part of the Eat Game awards. Of course, we will keep you all updated on our progress, voting ends on the 21st February – so please vote for us at www.eatgame.co.uk Thank you!
December saw the pub decorated for Christmas and looking very festive. For example, our tree from John Brights Fencing looked wonderful in the bar area & helped everyone feel festive. This year we welcomed many Christmas parties & gatherings. Our Christmas day Deliveries & Takeaway was a great success. Once again, our team rose to the occasion and delivered our great Half Moon Christmas dinners with a smile. It is so wonderful that we have been able to continue to offer this side of our business to our supporters & customers, we really are very grateful.
Looking over all of our teams achievements, and we can see there have been many, we are so proud of all of them. Now all eyes are looking forward to 2022!
Dorset Tourism Awards, Palmers Brewery, Sculptures by the Lake, Winscombe shoot, Lyme Bay WInery, Eat Game, BASC,
- 2021 – What a Year!
So, it’s already part way through January, and we are busy planning ahead for a great 2022 to come, but whilst planning ahead, we realised how much the Half Moon Melplash team achieved during 2021.
We began 2021 with a lockdown. Not the best start to the year – but our team rose to the challenge and our takeaway & delivery service kicked the year off to a cracking start. Cold, grey January evenings were cheered up with your Half Moon Melplash favourites, deliverd to your door – in all weathers.
Almost a year ago – to the day – we recieved the great news that The Half Moon had been selected as a finalist for Dorset Tourisms ‘Pub of The Year’. A drink or two might have been had to celebrate.
It nearly snowed at the end of January – but that didn’t stop our team of drivers. The pub did look lovely with the icing sugar dusting of snow. We even had a mini snow ball fight in the beer garden – socially distanced of course!
We celebrated events including Burns NIght and Valentines day with specials on our Takeaway Menu. It was great to be offering the chance to help you guys celebrate however it wasn’t quiet the same as having our wonderful customers inside the pub.
February began with the great news that we had won Gold Award for Dorset Tourisim Awards Pub of the Year. A great Zoom award ceremony & one to remember (sat around the dining room table!).
As the days become a little lighter, we celebrated Mothering Sunday with a sell out weekend – deliveries & take away of course! All the while hoping we would be allowed to re-open again soon.
March 14th saw our second birthday here at The Half Moon. What a 2 years it had been! Under the current restriction, we were not able to celebrate together as a team, but plans were made for a staff gathering as soon as restrictions allowed.
All eyes were eagerly on the announcements as to when we could re-open & welcome customers back into our pub. April 14th was the date that we all focused on. The pub was given a through spring clean & a splash of paint where needed. The marquee was set up (it snowed the day the put the frame together so we all warmed up with a coffee). The garden furniture was refurbished and new benches were brought to give maximum seating in our wonderful beer garden.
April saw many visitors to the pub. The thatchers, working on keeping the building in its best condition were follwed by the painter to give the outside of the building a freshen up. It was great to see the progress of everyone working together to get the pub open. We launched our new garden menu and cocktail menu too. Our Quarrantini cocktail was a great sucess – perfect to celebrate being able to be in a pub!
April saw another award! This time the team were awarded Bridport Food Festival’s Lock Down Hero runner up in the Public House category. Well done team!
May saw the further relaxing of restrictions and customers were allowed inside the pub. A day the team had looked forward to for a long time. Our marquee had been a real sucess, with lighing, heaters and even music. Our team had worked super hard in welcoming everyone back amd their hard work had truly shown with glowing reviews and happy customers.
In May, the Half Moon family welcomed our Pub Dog, Elwood. He fitted in almost straight away and ever since has been a great part of the team, ensuring no crumb is left. A particular highlight of his first few weeks with us was when he explored the log basket near the fire & couldn’t get back out. He has grown a little now and probably wouldn’t fit in the basket now.
In June the sun shone & we welcomed a classic car club to the pub one Saturday afternoon as part of a rally. Fantastic cars from times gone by filled our car park and great conversations were had over a pint or 2 of Palmers Dorset Gold.
Wyld Morris dancers also entertained our customers in the garden in early June. It was wonderful to welcome them back and begin to live life in a pre covid way. Check out the video for clips of their visit to us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXlHj9CzqUo We always look forward to a visit from this local group & are eager to put them in the diary for more visits this year.
June saw The Half Moon team gain another award – Well done team! At a great lunchtime event at Symondsbury estate, the team were commended for Pub of the Year at Bridport Business awards! It was a great event and wonderful to meet with other local business owners at this well organised event.
Looking back, this is only the first 6 months and I can’t quiet believe how much had been fitted in. I’m going to sit with Jamie & Elwood and take a quick breather before we cover July to December.
- Eat Game Awards 2021 – Finalist !
What a better way to start 2022 than with the exciting news that we have been short listed as Finalists for the Eat Game awards as Best Game Resturant or Pub Category!
We are so pleased to have reached this part of the awards process, but its not over yet, we need you! So if you have enjoyed one of our many locally sourced, seasonal game dishes prepared by our great team of chefs, please head on over to the voting page & vote for us https://eatgame.co.uk/eat-game-awards/voting/
The Eat Game awards work to show case the best of British game through recognising the work from many different chefs, pubs, butchers, educators & retail outlets. On their website is some great recipies, articles & podcasts – well worth having a good look.
Fingers crossed that we progress to the next round & thank you for helping to spread the word.
Fancy trying some of our great game dishes? Our menu regularly features dishes which feature West Dorset Venison, Pheasant, and Partridge. We have great seasonal specials and ensure we have fantastic game meat featured on our Sunday Roast menu. All can be enjoyed with a great pint of award winning real ale from our local Palmes Brewery (just 3 miles away in Bridport) https://palmersbrewery.com/
To reserve a table with us, in our cosy country pub, click the book a table link on our page or give us a call on 01308 4883231.
We look forward to welcoming you.
- Takeaway & Delivery Return!
Now it’s getting darker and colder, we thought we would bring back takeaway and delivery due to popular demand.
To order all you need to do is go to our website and press the green button at the top.
Go on treat yourself to a #HalfMoonatHome!
- Lockdown Restrictions Easing Postponed
With Boris’ latest announcement, of the postponement of the restrictions easing, we wanted to update you all of the methods we have adopted from the guidelines to ensure your visit is Covid_19 compliant.
We ask that upon your arrival, all of the group wear face masks (unless medically exempt). As of April 12th, all guests to the pub over the age of 16 years are required to give details for the track & trace system. The easiest method is via the app available for both Apple & Android phones. This way helps our team to seat you promptly so that you can get down to the serious business of enjoying a great pint of Palmers Brewery real ale, maybe even with a bite to eat as well!
The app is easily downloadable via this website https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/
During your stay, we do ask you to follow the government guidelines of not coming to the bar to be served. Our team will happily serve you at your table. We do also ask that children remain seated as much as possible during your visit & to always be accompanied by an adult when moving around our wonderful pub.
We do understand that these rules have completely changed the ‘pub’ experience and that many of you are eager for ‘normal’ life to begin again. We ask you to respect our team, as they have the difficult task of implementing these rules as well as working in a busy environment. Hopefully, if we all carry on sticking to these guidelines, there will be no further extension to these guidelines and they should be easing on the 19th of July.
Until then we hope you enjoy your visit to us and that the restrictions are not extended further!
- Full Steam Ahead for the next step of reopening!
We are busy here at The Half Moon getting ready to welcome you back inside the pub from May 17th – Well actually Wednesday 19th May.
You can be assured that we take our Covid_19 compliancy seriously, we want you to feel safe during your visit to us. All of our team have completed training on how to manage the Covid_19 risk in the workplace to ensure your safety during your visit. Our cleaning procedures already thorough have been reviewed. We have been awarded the AA Covid_19 Confident accreditation as a result of this, so we can show our commitment to your safety.
What to expect when you visit us?
As per the Government guidelines, all people visiting us over the age of 16 years will need to check-in via the NHS track & trace app. Please have your phone ready as this helps speed up your check-in & get you to your table promptly. No app? We have the use of a digital format sponsored by the wonderful guys at Palmers Brewery – a GDPR compliant method – that with your co-operation will enable your visit to go smoothly.
Face masks are still required to enter the pub and to move around during your visit.
From the 19th May, you can now sit inside the pub! Guidelines of the rule of 6 or two households apply for sitting inside. The rules have been relaxed somewhat for outside so it could be said that we are beginning to return to normal life.
We have limited tables available inside the pub and in our heated garden marquee – so to be sure of a table please book via our website www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk or call us on 01308 488 321.
Not yet ready to join us inside? Our takeaway is still going with easy ordering, again via our website www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk by clicking the green button that says Takeaway and Delivery
We look forward to seeing you soon!
- Looking forward to a brighter 2021
After much planning and working with the government’s roadmap, our intentions are to reopen to the public on Wednesday 14th April. We can’t wait to welcome you all back!
Following government guidelines, we can only allow you to use our wonderful beer garden. Therefore this will be outdoors only. Our team will be busy in the week before we open, putting our marquee up in the garden, this will contain 8 tables available to book in advance. We will have more tables in our garden, which will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. As per government guidelines, the sides of the marquee will be open so please dress appropriately for the weather. On a cooler evening, please bring a jumper or a blanket (or both) for your own comfort.
Moving to May, following the government roadmap, (hopefully there will be no delays!) we will be accepting bookings from the 19th for seating inside of the pub. Bookings inside the pub (as with outside) will still have to comply with the government restrictions eg. the rule of 6, etc., and table service only.
Hopefully, as long as all criteria are met, from the 24th of June we will be open without restrictions.
We’d like to thank you for all of your support throughout this challenging time & would like to thank you for your co-operation whilst our team find the best way to provide great service during this new way of working.
Watch this space for upcoming news and events.
- The Half Moon Inn Melplash, Winners of Dorset Tourism Awards, ‘Pub of the Year’ 2020
4th February 2021 – The Half Moon Inn Melplash, announced as Winners in Dorset Tourism Awards category ‘Pub of the Year’ 2020. After what has been an incredibly challenging year for the hospitality industry which has seen pubs, bars, and restaurants have to close with little notice repeatedly and then reopen with some of the strongest Covid_19 compliant regulations it is wonderful to have some good news to begin 2021 with.
Jamie Pimbley, Landlord at the Half Moon: “2020 has been a trying year but it has given us chance to strengthen our ties within our local community as they have shown us incredible support. Without their support, and a generous local donor who has asked to remain anonymous, we would have had a very different year. The Lockdown in March gave us time to design a web site which was able to process our customers’ orders to give the best service you could wish for”.
This award means so very much to us and our team, and has made the struggles of the last year all worth while.
Clare Pimbley, Landlady at the Half Moon: “Having only just celebrated our first ‘pub’ birthday days before we had to close for the first lockdown last March, we were very concerned for our future at The Half Moon. 2020 gave us time to spend time with our 3 sons and support them as they began their home schooling adventure. Our second year has seen us transform our business to a pub at home format and we are so proud of our team who have worked so hard to enable this.”
Clare Bushby of headline sponsors Clockwork Marketing says: “The Dorset Tourism Awards are more vital than ever before. They provide normality during a surreal time, where everything seems weighted against hospitality. Equally as important, they give credit—where credit is more than due. Rather than despairing, entrants into this year’s awards have been remarkably inventive when faced with the impact of coronavirus. They have shown, against all the odds, that a pandemic needn’t stand in the way of excellent hospitality. This is in no small part due to their unflinching resolve and unbreakable passion for their industry.
Chair of the Judging Panel Professor Peter Jones adds his congratulations: “Dorset tourism, like tourism the world over, is demonstrating resilience and fortitude in coping with the impact and implications of Covid-19 in some amazing ways. This year’s entries into the Dorset Tourism Awards are no exception. Entrants demonstrated creativity and innovation, passion for the industry, and enthusiasm in providing a great experience for their customers in the most difficult of circumstances.
“To have been shortlisted for Pub of the Year was amazing, to win the Gold award is just beyond what we could have hoped for. We will proudly be displaying our award in the pub to show off to our regulars when the restrictions lift and they can be welcomed back into the pub”
Jamie & Clare Pimbley.
- Valentines Menu 2021 Now Live
Valentines 2021, will be one to remember – the one in Lockdown.
Make it special and treat that special person in your life.
Ready to eat when delivered to your doorstep on Saturday evening February 13th.
Check out our great valentines menu below … and make your choice – to order, click on the Gold Valentines button at the top of the page. Only a limited number of delivery slots available, so don’t miss out.
For The Table
Tear & Share Garlic Dough Balls with Garlic and Parsley ButterTo Start
Mezze Sharing board, Salami, Pastrami,
Serrano Ham & Game Terrine with Mediterranean olive bread
or
Baked Camembert Sharer with Spiced tomato chutney
& mixed dipping breadsThe Main Course
Beef Wellington served with a panache of vegetables
Potato gratin and a rich Port Jus
or
Moroccan spiced Chickpea and Butternut squash Strudel
with a panache of vegetables & Minted New Potatoes and
Dorset Coastal Cheddar sauceDessert
Tiramisu – Itallian coffee and cocoa pick me up
or
Sticky Toffee Apple Pudding served with custardA little treat
Homemade Chocolate truffles sent with every order
- Dorset Tourism Awards 2020 Finalist
What a way to begin 2021 – with the announcement from Dorset Tourism that we have been shortlisted as finalists for Pub of the Year! To say we are over the (Half) Moon (pun intended!) is an understatement.
We are so proud of our incredibly hard-working & talented team who have helped us take our delivery & takeaway offering to the next level during this lockdown and those last year. They also provide an outstanding welcome, wonderfully warm customer service, and truly amazing food when we are able to trade in the traditional way!
Congratulations to all the other finalists – to be shortlisted – we have all done very well.
We will be sure to keep you posted when the results are announced early next month.
- Congratulations to our New Years’ Eve winner!
To say Thank you for our support from our takeaway customers, we ran a competition throughout December to win a new years eve takeout on us.
All you had to do was to be in it to win it. So if you placed a takeaway or delivery order online by December 24th of 2020.
Using a random number generator our winner was picked to be number 65, Steff Toms.
Congratulations from all at the Half Moon we hope you enjoy your order on us.
Keep an eye out on social media and here for more takeaway and delivery competitions in the new year, 2021.
- Half Moon December Covid_19 Update
So
Tier 2. Not what we here at the Half Moon were expecting. I must say it did put a downer on last week whilst we spent time with our children.
We have been reading up on the new guidelines & restrictions as to how we can re-open (again) for dine-in as well as continue our delivery & collection menu whilst providing the same great Half Moon service & keep our team, our customers & our family safe.So, from Thursday 3rd December, we plan to open but there will have to be some changes (sorry!)
The tier 2 restrictions mean that we cannot serve alcohol unless it is alongside a substantial meal (table meal).
As part of the tier 2 restrictions, we cannot allow more than one household at a table. This means that you cannot meet anyone outside of your household or bubble in a restaurant (or pub) setting.
When booking with us we, therefore need to confirm that your booking will be for one household only. We have been & will continue to contact all bookings made with us online to check that they meet these government criteria.
If you have a booked table which you need to cancel or amend, please do contact us either via this page or on – 01308 488321.Please be aware – all of our previous guidelines will remain in place, so please book your table in advance to avoid disappointment, please wear face masks whilst entering/ leaving & moving around the building & please follow our one-way system. The government track & trace is a legal requirement so this will have to be completed before we can serve you your meal & drink.
We will be launching our winter (tier 2) menu on Thursday for dine-in & hope to feature some festive dishes alongside some Half Moon favorites.
Our Christmas day delivered Christmas dinner is booking up fast – so please check out our online ordering for a great opportunity for us to deliver to your door, our award-winning food to go!Our award-winning take away & delivery will continue Thursday to Sunday.
So fear not – if you are not in a position to join us – we can bring the pub to you – almost. Our food to go will be available during our opening hours but MUST be booked in advance (either by phone or through our website www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk )
Please note, to protect our team, face masks must be worn to collect your take out food.Sorry this is a little long, but we need to be sure we are doing our best for everyone.
All that is left to be said is thank you for your support this year – Our amazing customers, team & supporters are what has got us this far through 2020 & whilst we may not get to raise a glass of festive cheer with you in person – we look forward to welcoming you back in 2021 when the government restrictions allow.
Stay safe
Team Half Moon
- Dorset Food Drink and Farming Award – We Won!
2020 has been a challenging year – to say the least!
One high was being nominated by our amazing customers and supporters for the Best Dining Experience to Go. We were notified that we were in the final three and were over the (half) moon!
Today we were notified that we had won our Category – We are the best dining experience to go! Well you knew that already – but it is great to have been given this award.
Thank you to all our hard working team who have helped make this possible. Thank you to our customers who nominated us. Well done to all of the category finalists.
Don’t forget that our takeaway and delivery menus are still going strong and are super easy to order – halfmoonmelplash.co.uk
And thank you for your continued support!
- Christmas Day Delivery Service Launch
Today is the day we are launching our Christmas Day Delivery service. This service is only available on the 25th of December between 12 and 2:30 PM. This exciting menu will feature some traditional dishes with our Half Moon Melplash flair alongside some real mouthwatering treats. Check out this menu on our website – just follow the link below – Please note, we only a limited amount of slots available so book early to avoid any disappointment!
To order please visit https://www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk/christmas/
Alternatively you can use the button below which will take you to straight to the ordering page
Please note, we cannot unfortunately take orders over the phone as we require all the delivery information and orders to be collated digitally to give the best service we can.
- Remembrance Sunday Delivery & Takeaway from The Half Moon
All Set & ready to go, our main delivery vehicle, complete with Poppy, ready to deliver the best, ready to eat Sunday Roast Lunch.
With choices of Roast Beef Sirloin, Slow cooked Cider glazed Pork Belly & our Chicken Ballantine, and two vegetarian options, there is something for every one.
We have a great selection of starters to choose from and our home made desserts are the best way to finish your meals (the Honeycomb & chocolate cheesecake is proving to be very popular as is the Dorset Apple cake!)
Super easy to order – book your ultimate contact free & covid_19 compliant delivery experience via our website www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk or call us on 01308 488321. We do also have a limited number of socially distanced collection slots too if you’d prefer to collect. We do ask that orders are placed in advance to avoid disappointment.
- Our appearance on BBC Spotlight
Click on this link to see our landlady be interviewed by the BBC for tonight’s spotlight. We are at 14 minutes into the video. Thank you to all who have supported us throughout these unique times. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000p4gy/spotlight-evening-news-02112020
- Halloween Pumpkin Carving Competition at The Half Moon
This afternoon was the last day to enter our pumpkin carving competition. We would like to thank all those who entered the competition. The entries received were very innovative and unique. The entries are shown below as well as on show in the pub. Please visit our Facebook page to vote for your favorite one last votes to be placed by 11:59 PM on the 31st of October the winner will be announced on Sunday the 1st of November.
- Jinder at The Half Moon Sunday Session.
On our second Sunday Session, Jinder proved to be a great hit. With his distinctive style of story telling, the singer song writer had the crowd at The Half Moon mesmerised.
Alongside the great music, the hog roast went down a treat, and our cocktails were again very popular. Everyone commented as to how safe they felt during their visit to our Covid compliant luxury marquee.
Tickets are selling well for next week for Endure Fort so don’t miss out on a great evening of entertainment, great food & drink!
Buy your bubble – maximum of 6 – at www.halfmoonevents.co.uk
- Dorset Food Drink & Farming Awards!
2020 is definatley a year to remember – a positive thing this time though!
We are super proud to announce that we are finalists in Dorset Magazine’s Dorset Food Drink & Farming Awards Best Dining Experience to Go. Thank you to all our amazing customers for your support & for nominating us, and thank you to our great Half Moon team for all of your hard work! The other establishments in our category are of high quality – so its a real privilege to be finalists alongside them.
No matter what the outcome – we feel very privileged to be recognised for our takeaway & delivery service which enables you to enjoy your Half Moon favourites at home #HalfMoonatHome
We will keep you up to date as to the outcome & will most definitely be raising a glass to our team for their hard work.
Mean while if you are feeling hungry – don’t forget you can order your takeaway or delivery clicking the green bean above (order home delivery).
- The Leggomen at The Half Moon!
Sunday 6th September 2020 saw The Leggomen kick off the Half Moon’s Sunday Sessions.
In our first live music cabaret event in our socially distant & covid_19 compliant luxury marquee, the Leggoman entertained a great crowd who enjoyed themselves thoroughly. With a great mix of their usual tracks, we were able to enjoy a great cocktails (the Elder flower Collins was my favourite!) & tasty street food hog roast from The Half Moon kitchen team.
Big thanks to all of our great team & to our production partner JSW Entertainment. Looking forward to next week for another of our Socially distanced Sunday Sessions with live music from Jinder. E-tickets available via our website www.halfmoonmelplash.co.uk/events
- Dorset Food Awards! VOTE!
We’d be so grateful if you could click on the link & vote for us:
https://foodawards.dorsetmagazine.co.uk/enter
Best Dining Experience – and/or any other category you feel represents us here at The Half Moon.
Thank you!
- Now Open and Serving!
Team Half Moon would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all our locals, regulars and summer visitors for joining us once again in our gorgeous little pub! A home from home for so many of you, it is delightful to see ‘our home’ buzzing once again.
We are of course adhering to social distancing and COVID Secure guidelines to make this all possible, and our years of experience with events and outside catering brings an added advantage to the Half Moon as we now have our exclusive Marquee Area in the Garden.
Come and join us at the Half Moon for a reassuringly familiar and traditional Pub Experience in these unprecedented times!
- COVID-19 UPDATE
Due to the Covid-19, we are operating our “Half Moon At Home” Takeaway only business.
Our current opening hours are:
Thursday to Saturday evenings 4:30 till 8:30
Sunday roast dinners 12-2:30
We ask that orders are placed in advance, especially for Sunday roasts. We ask that customers book collection slots either via phone when placing your order, or via our online ordering system, under our ‘see Menu & order button’.
We are talking every precaution to ensure that the safety of our team and customers is our priority, and to ensure that you can enjoy your Half Moon Melplash favorites at home.
As always, any questions please feel free to contact us on 01308 488321.
It is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging.
Any Staff member who is unwell will not be at work. If they have symptoms, they will follow government advice and stay at home. Although it is very unlikely that coronavirus is transmitted through food, as a matter of good hygiene practice anyone handling food should wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
This should be done as a matter of routine, before and after handling food, and especially after being in a public place, blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing.We continue to follow the Food Standard Agency’s (FSA) guidance on good hygiene practices in food preparation and their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) processes.
We support NHS & Elderly members please ask for details.