People
Faces from around the valley
People come to the house from a long way along the river and from the coast beyond. Here's a portrait of the guests, told through the dishes they ask for first.
Who comes in
The valley at the door
The front door of Tallowwood House opens onto an unusual mixture. Some guests have driven in from farms and small towns up the valley, and they're usually the first to ask for the pie. Others come from the coast after a day on the water, with sandy shoes and a good appetite, and they go straight for the oysters.
There are people who finish work in town at six and walk across for soup, and there are couples who come once a month for a quiet table and the Thursday roulette. A surprising number of guests tell Rachel that they live a few streets away and had never come in until a friend dragged them.
What the first order tells us
Pie, for the people who start early
Farmers and tradespeople order the meat pie, sometimes before they have taken off their coats. It's the dish that arrives fastest and warms the hands. Lucy says she cooks it for them first and for everyone else second.
Oysters, for the coast
The people from the beaches order oysters as if they were ordering a glass of water. They are shucked to order and arrive with lemon, and everyone at the table goes quiet for a minute. After that, you can ask for anything.
Soup, for everyone else
Pumpkin soup is the answer to most questions. The newcomers who ask what to order are told to start with it, and almost all of them thank Rachel afterwards.
The ones who stay for tea
Some guests come for neither the pie nor the cards. They come for the end of the evening, when the croupiers have counted the chips and the last table is given a pot of tea. They sit for ten minutes, talk about nothing in particular and leave a little lighter. Rachel calls them the closing crowd.
“We drive in for the Sunday roast and stay for the cards. After a long drive in the dark, the lamp on the verandah is a very welcome sight.”