Lunch at The Walton Fox, Bamber Bridge.

Just after the Easter break we popped in for lunch at the The Walton Fox, part of the Vintage Inns chain in Bamber Bridge for a spot of lunch after their recent refurbishment.

 The decor is a cool relaxed country style, ideal as an informal dining venue with friends or family.

The extensive menu provided lots of choice and I noted they also have frequent specials and offers throughout the year. They have in the week time a "fixed price lunch" of 2 courses for £10.95 / 3 courses £13.95

The welcome was warm and  friendly and the service attentive without being overbearing, We also experienced good sized portions, all the food was hot and attractively served and at good value prices.

I choose as my starter the Oven baked button and portobello mushrooms, served in a garlic and cheese sauce with rustic breads, a tasty dish , lots of mushrooms which I love and well balanced with the sauce. I shared my starter with Mr LF and he particularly enjoyed the bread.

For mains I chose the Smoked haddock kedgeree fish cake which was served with roasted vine tomatoes, broccoli, basil dressing and some delightful baby herby potatoes. The fish cakes were lovely with large chunks of smoked haddock and just a hint of curry flavours.

Mr LF chose a pie (he always does !) in this case the steak and mushroom one, rich slow cooked beef and mushrooms in red wine topped with a puff pastry top, served with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted carrots and braised cabbage. The beef was a little chewy but the sauce was very tasty. We do like to see cabbage served a vegetable, an unsung hero in my opinion.

To finish our meal we shared the "Pudding Tasting platter" a spiffing idea in in my opinion and one I am surprised you don't see on more menus, this one featured a handsome slice of apple pie with a dinky jug of creamy custard, Melba mallow mess , a delicious combination of meringue, cream, marshmallow fluff , peaches and raspberries. Classic vanilla creme brulee, creamy wobbly creme with a cracking burnt sugar top. Belgian chocolate brownie with smooth creamy vanilla ice cream and of course 2 spoons !!  Yummeee.....

A perfect end to the meal, we left pleasurably satisfied and very pleasantly surprised.

We dined on a complementary basis after being invited to give a review, all thoughts, views, opinions are our own. We were not expected to give a positive review.

November 2015 - Colin Shepherd - Clog & Billycock

We are pleased to feature this month -Colin Shepherd - Deputy General Manager at The Clog and Billycock a member of  the Ribble Valley Inns Group. Colin is passionate about local food and great service and has worked in many quality establishments across the country. He is also a talented artist and loves all things military and of course his latest passion cycling. 

The Clog and Billycock is situated in the lovely village of Pleasington and serves high quality British Food, seasonal which is locally sourced.

What is your favourite cookery or food book or publication ?

New York Cult Recipes by Marc Grossman.

What sentence sums up Lancashire Food to you ?

Great Wholesome food produced by passionate people and celebrated locally and beyond.

If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you like to be ?

Pilot (Preferably Fast Jet and Low Level) or Musician ( ideally Royal Marines Band Service)

Which piece of kit could you not do without ?

My Bicycle – just wish I could have the time to do more cycling

Who would join you at your ultimate dinner party and why?

Difficult choice to make and it could be a big dinner party so I have picked 2

My Grandad – Just a great man to talk to with some great interests

Mozart – A musical genius who wrote some of the most amazing music I have listened to and I imagine he would have some great stories to tell.

What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Work harder at school and have more belief in yourself and your abilities

Describe your style in three words

Impulsive, impatient, Obsessive

What was your latest foodie gadget purchase ?

A Food Mixer. The old one needed replacing with something a bit more powerful and capable

What is your greatest achievement to date ?

Selling my first piece of artwork – it was only small and I did not get much, but the fact that someone was willing to pay for something I had created and wanted to put it on their wall made me proud

What is the worst mistake you have made ?

Dropping a 1000 gallon container of double cream form a forklift truck at a dairy I worked at in Whitby. My plan of going in early on New Years Eve to get finished early was scuppered by the length of time it took to clean up. A messy and expensive accident to say the least. A rumour also spread that a significant amount of Whitby harbour turned white.

Tell us a secret about yourself ? may be something we wouldn’t expect !

I once reversed a works van into my bosses garden wall. There was no damage to the wall and he did not see it happen. There was some damage to the back of the van though. It was weeks before he spotted it and blamed it on someone in the car park so I left it at that!

The Highwayman Inn - Stand and deliver !

                                     

Yesterday saw our long awaited visit to the Highwayman Inn at Nether Burrow, near Kirby Lonsdale. We have now visited all but one of the Ribble Valley Inns, the gastro pub chain owned by Michelin starred chef Nigel Haworth.

Surrounded by stunning countryside the Highwaymann is just outside Kirby Lonsdale, situated on the borders of the three counties of Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire.The establishment is pretty easy to find, has car parking right outdoor the door and an outdoor eating area for summertime. Our welcome was warm and we were pleased to see that the fires were lit and dancing in the grates when we arrived, we were sat in the friendly hunting lodge style dining area in large cosy chairs ready to peruse the locally focused menu.

                                  

This being a Thwaites house Mr LF plumped for his favourite Wainwright and I ordered a Dandelion and burdock another favourite as the driver of the party. The pub has recently been the subject to a mini refurbishment and also recently had a new chef appointed to lead the team, Jason "Bruno" Birkbeck who has an excellent pedigree in the kitchen and is a local lad too, you may have seen him on Great British menu a couple of years ago.

                           

The main menu features many Ribble Valley Inn classics, however we would point out that we found the specials menu a bit confusing (and we weren't the only ones !) as Mr LF really fancied the Hotpot but was disappointed to find it wasn't on the menu (or so we thought) and missed it on the specials as the menu wasn't divided into starters, mains and desserts. In fact we only found out it was on the menu after we had ordered when we heard two elderly gentlemen asking why the hotpot wasn't on the menu and a member of staff pointing it out on the specials. Minor point but a tad confusing.

So after perusing the menu we plumped for the classic nibbles knowing that the portions are generous in Ribble Valley Inn's, Ascrofts cauliflower fritters an old favourite which is served with curry mayonnaise and the homemade bread, rapeseed oil and treacle vinegar.

The fritters were delicious as expected, crispy light with a tender cauliflower floret in the middle and the curry mayonnaise with just the right amount of spicy punch to cut through the fritter.

The bread, oil and vinegar was acceptable, we did find the sliced white and wholemeal bread a little tasteless and pappy but enjoyed the rosemary and sea salt roll, the treacle vinegar was the standout part of this dish and is an idea I am going to be trying to replicate at home. The vinegar has a lovely tang and is great combined with the nutty rapeseed oil. 

So onto our mains, I chose the braised shoulder of Kitridding lamb, herb oatcake crust, root vegetables, potato pressing and confit swede and  Mr LF chose Steak and kidney pie, roasted root vegetables with real chips.

A delicious well balanced dish, I particularly liked the addition of the spiky aromatic red cabbage (Nigel Howarths signature red cabbage no less) which cuts through the richness of the lamb shoulder, the dish was well flavoured and the confit swede was lovely and gave a sweet savoury note.

As you know Mr LF is a pie connoisseur and nothing disappoints him more than when a pie is not a pie, he likes a pie with sides, so he was a little down heartened when his "pie " arrived as it was a pastry topped pot, the pastry however was good, nice and short with a little flake and well matched to the filling inside. The steak and kidney filling was tender and the gravy well flavoured if a little on the thin side. In fact a member of staff supplied him with a spoon so he could scoop the gravy out of the pot. His chips were pronounced as good but the roasted vegetables better. 

Desserts, I ordered the intriguing Sheep dip creme brulee, shortbread and Autumn berry compote and Mr LF plumped for the Forest Fruit cheesecake with pouring cream.

A lovely tasty dessert with just the right amount of crunchy topping, the shortbread was buttery and crumbly and the perfect contrast to the creamy creme brulee.

Forest Fruit Cheesecake, whats not to like, pronounced delicious by Mr LF, fruity yet creamy with a sharper berry top to cut the richness.

So all in all a good meal, the food was tasty and well made and presented, just a couple of minor niggles, but really all in all the same standard we have come to expect from Ribble Valley Inns. The staff were warm, friendly and attentive.

Our only other comments would that despite the recent refurbishment we did note a couple minor issues such as in the loos missing temperature buttons on taps, missing plugs and worn soap bottles. Very minor niggles but not something I have seen in other RV inns, this definitely won't stop us recommending a visit as the food is very good, reasonably priced and above all seasonal and local. 

The surrounding countryside is beautiful and you are well placed to visit the local attractions. So make sure you call in when in the area.

Our meal was provided on a complimentary basis but we were not compelled to provide a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are our own.

Royal Oak at Riley Green

                            

STOP PRESS - Updated article 9th March 2013

The pub has now been fully re-furbished and has a full menu featuring some great local produce, we were kindly invited to attend the re-launch and to meet the Thwaites Shire horses too, who came out to celebrate the re-launch. We  were treated to some lovely Lancashire nibbles all washed down with some of Thwaites fine ales, of special note was the Wainwright caviar !

As you may have gathered here at Lancashire Food, we enjoy eating out and were excited to here that the team behind our favourite restaurant were taking on the tenancy of the Royal Oak at Riley Green.  This country inn is situated on the main road to Blackburn from Preston and Chorley, not far from Hoghton Tower, so its easy to find.

To the delight of Mr Lancashire Food this is a Thwaites house so the beers are good and his favourite brew "Wainwright" is available on draught. Chris and Mike  have introduced a menu which  focuses on quality , consistency and freshness, from local suppliers. The menu is currently shorter than they would like as they are planning alterations to the kitchen and dining areas in the very near future, but their is still plenty of choice.

Our visit was on a Saturday lunchtime and we were pleased to see that several other parties were already dining on entering the pub. We were warmly welcomed by the knowledgeable and polite front of house team and seated near the fireplace. 

We ordered drinks as we browsed the menu and made our choices. After a reasonable wait ( our waiter was keen to tell us everything is cooked from fresh) our food arrived. 

Mr Lancashire Food's choice was a steak and ale pie with the days choice of vegetables and twice cooked chips. The vegetables were deliciously tender and cooked from fresh and the pie well flavoured and packed with tender steak.

My burger was delicious, served in a muffin with cheese and tomato relish , the chips were amazing and the salad fresh and well balanced, no soggy sad lettuce here.

Both were well sized portions and good examples of pub food done well. We will be back and will be bringing friends next time who we are sure will enjoy the warm friendly pub environment and the great food and ales, the pub also welcomes families.

We did not give notice of our visit to the team and we paid for our food and drinks, just in case you were wondering.

Eagle & Child at Bispham Green

In need of some restorative local food and not having the desire to do the cooking, Lancashire Food ventured out on a Monday to find a suitable spot for lunch. Now Monday is the one day of the week when the majority of the more select establishments in the area seem to shut, so this limited choice some what, however we were undeterred and found ourselves in the delightful little hamlet of Bispham Green, just outside the larger village of Mawdesley.

We had been promising ourselves a visit for several years to this establishment but as seems to happen one thing or another gets in the way and you never quite get there, well we should is all I can say as we have been missing out.

On a lovely Lancashire afternoon in early September we discovered the Eagle and Child at Bispham Green , part of the larger foodie Ainscoughs empire , this pub is cutely nestled in the heart of the tiny hamlet of Bispham Green, over looking the village green. Dating from the 18th century the "bird and brat" is a gorgeous looking country pub, rustically furnished but not over done, with flag floors and real fires.

We were welcomed and found a table which overlooked the stunning Lancashire Countryside, we were given 2 menus to peruse, one the standard menu and the other the specials which change fairly regularly as they were still being chalked on the board when we arrived. As this was lunchtime  and not being familiar with the portion sizes served, we decided that we would skip the starters delicious as they sounded go straight to the mains and opt for a pudding if we weren't full.

I was pleased to see that the menu featured "Lancashire Hotpot" , despite this being THE iconic Lancashire dish, its a rare dish to find on a pub's menu. Mr Lancashire Food choose this as his dish and I opted for one of the seasonal specials a Chicken, ham and mushroom pie. The pub also has a reputation for fine ales and had a wide selection of different brews from a number of local and regional breweries to sample, a pint of "Golden Sands" from Southport Brewery was ordered.

The friendly front of house staff delivered some fine heavy silver cutlery and then our meals arrived, after a comforting wait ( fairly sure no microwave meals here) , the food arrived a fine looking hotpot with a separate generous dish of red cabbage and my pie, accompanied by rustic chips and seasonal vegetables. My only slight disappointment was that it wasn't a real pie with sides, just a puff pastry top, but the filling more than made up for the lack of pastry, lots and lots of real chicken , hand stripped from the bone, just like your mum's chicken pie made with the roast leftovers, tender ham and juicy earthy mushroom in a creamy white sauce with the delicate hint of freshly cut chives.

The chips chunky homestyle, fluffy and delicious and the vegetables, nothing frozen here, freshly picked broccoli, carrots and runner beans ( wow, seasonal or what !, never had them in a pub before, normally those dinky african things), just like they had been  picked from dad's allotment.

Mr LF was impressed with the hotpot , packed with tender meat, well flavoured and a nice crispy potato topping too. All in all the food was of  a very good quality and the portion size more than ample, sure its not the cheapest place but I am a great believer in you get what you pay for. We didn't get to try out the dessert menu on this occasion but I am sure we will be back to try it out in the future. Our bill including drinks was a smidgen over £25.

Next door to the pub is the Home Farm shop also part of the same group, as I visited on a Monday it was closed but it definitely warrants a visit another day as it promises local foods, organic local meats from their own farm and locally grown vegetables. I feel another blog post coming on.

The Eagle and Child did not know I was visiting and we paid for our food and drinks, this was our experience of our visit.

Golden Lion at Wheelton

On a blustery wintery day we paid our first visit to the Golden Lion Pub in Wheelton, a small village near Chorley in Lancashire. The Golden Lion is a traditional pub at the heart of the village and its community, we were warmly welcomed by the owners and the log fire burning in the grate.The pub is traditionally decorated and even has a pool table if you fancy a game, but on to the food. 


The emphasis is on good quality locally produced pub grub, all the favourites are available and everything is reasonably priced, they also have specials and their steak nights apparently are very popular.

We ordered our choices from the menu at the well stocked bar, they had a great selection of real ales according to Mr B, and waited in anticipation of homemade pie and steak pudding (from a local butcher of repute).

 The food arrived piping hot with a selection of fresh vegetables ( always a good sign ) and hand cut chips, yummy ! So visit this nice local pub when you are in the area for traditional lovingly prepared pub grub,  oh and a good pint too !


The pub is dog and walker friendly and has a large car park behind complete with chickens and geese.

Railway at Euxton

I have know this pub under various names, The Railway, then The Ordnance, now we are back to The Railway and being advertised as the new gastro pub. We had to try it out.

So one Thursday after work Hubby and I ventured for our evening meal. Firstly the decor was different than last time and also the layout, the emphasis is now very much food.

On the evening we visited they had a special of two courses for £10.95, not bad. We were greeted an seated and pleased to see that at 6.30pm there were already half a dozen tables occupied.

I order the local chicken with creamy wild mushroom sauce, baby roasted pots and green beans, hubby ordered the pea and bean risotto. If you are on the special offer you have a choice of 3 dishes for each course. The food arrive after about 15mins and we were pleasantly impressed, hot, flavourful and well presented in large white bowls. No compliants on the mains.

We then went on to puddings, we both chose the egg custard with berries. The custard was everything we expected wobbly and good, the berry accompanying more of a berry mush, main problem was the chef trying to look funky and including toffee shards, which were to crunchy and hard to eat without fear of loosing a tooth.

All in all a good meal and have since recommended to friends how had much the same experience.