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.

Lancashire Platter @ Dunkirk Hall

As you all know we love our local food here at Lancashire Food and had noticed that a local pub was tweeting about their local special "The Lancashire Platter",  so we had to go and give it a try didn't we.

Dunkirk Hall is very old pub on the outskirts of Leyland which over the last few years has had mixed fortunes, the foodie landlady Donna loves local food and has worked really hard to provide an appealing menu which features some local food, in fact so great is her love of all things local that she has opened a mini tea shop cum deli at the back of the pub, more of that later.

Back to the Lancashire Platter - an attractive alternative to the traditional ploughmans, featured in the platter is Creamy Lancashire Cheese from Dewlay cheese, a fab slice of pie from the Great North Pie company, home made scotch egg, bread from a local bakery, Fiddlers Lancashire Crisps, salad, homemade coleslaw and date and pear chutney from Hawkshead Relish.

All in all a fab platter, it disappeared very quickly. The pie I have to say was the star, but the other goodies were also very tasty.

Little D's at the back of the pub fortunately sells most of the goodies featured in the platter plus Stockleys Old Fashioned Sweeties, Mr Fitzpatricks Cordials, Bury Black Puddings, Agnes Rose Vinegars and Oils and also Ice Creams too. Little D's also has a few outside tables if the pub atmosphere isn't for you where you can take afternoon tea.