Having driven
my wife to Crewe for a meeting, I was also charged with the task of finding
“somewhere nice for lunch” – a quick flick through the ‘Michelin Eating Out in
Pubs 2015’ revealed that we were spoilt for choice.
Close by
were a number of places we have visited and enjoyed in the past – Yew
Tree at Bunbury, Fox &
Barrel, Swettenham
Arms, Pheasant
Inn and Bells of
Peover – but in the end I plumped for somewhere new.
We settled on The Cholmondley Arms - being a schoolteacher, I also hoped that visiting a pub housed in a former school would mentally get me ready for a return to work…
What they
say: ‘Set
in beautiful Cheshire countryside adjacent to Cholmondeley Castle, the
Cholmondeley Arms is probably one of England’s most unique pubs. It sits inside
a former Victorian village schoolhouse on Lord Cholmondeley’s estate. Dating
back to 1862 the school was converted in 1988 and it was the first public house
on the estate for over a century!
What
Michelin say: ‘The eponymous estate's old schoolhouse, with high,
vaulted ceilings, large windows and roaring fires. Modern pub favourites might
include calves' liver or homemade lamb faggots. Gin lovers will be in clover
with more than 200 from which to choose. The 6 comfy bedrooms are in the Old
Headmaster's House.’
What I
ate:
Warmed local Pork Pie with Cheshire chutney – although
barely warmed, the pie was good but the chutney could’ve done with a little
more sharpness or tanginess.
Handcrafted venison ‘Scotch’ Egg with
Cumberland sauce – It’s been ages since I’ve had one so I had
forgotten just how good a Cumberland sauce can be… this dish inspired me to
rustle up a batch of Scotch Eggs with Cumberland sauce.
The Trawlers Seafood Plate of prawn
cocktail, potted shrimps, white crab with lemon mayonnaise, whitebait and salt
‘n’ pepper squid with bread – this was well put together: the breadcrumbs and
batter were crisp and the fresh ingredients, fresh. My favourite part was the
potted brown shrimps in warmed butter.
Locally shot pheasant ‘Kiev’ with
chestnut and tarragon butter, sweet roast potato and game jus – I loved this
dish; it was winery without being heavy. One niggle relating to the
presentation, I’d have liked the ‘Kiev’ whole so U could’ve had the pleasure of
cutting into it and watching the chestnut and tarragon butter ooze out.
We hope
to get back down to The Cholmondley Arms
later in the year for one of their Gin Tasting events and a stay in the Old Headmaster's House.
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