Dining at the Hope & Anchor
Standing proudly on the market place in the centre of Wirksworth is The Hope and Anchor, a grade two listed 17th century stone building. Closed in 2016 but now under new management and with around £100,000 spent on refurbishment, along with a new chef, The Hope and Anchor is now open for business. On their website they proudly proclaim that they are, “A good pub with real pub food”. Our visit, along with two long standing friends one Friday evening in mid July was a great opportunity to put that claim to the test. Occupying a prominent position in Wirksworth it was easy to let your mind slip back to the days in 1306 when the town was granted market status and would be jammed with colourful stalls and people plying their trades many of which are now lost. Over the years, with wealth generated by lead mining and stone quarrying, this market town came to be graced by some of the most lovely, historic, stone buildings. But now to our dining experience. We were welcomed by General Manager Jack, who showed us to our table in the large restaurant area, the rear of which is elevated. The late evening sun poured through the windows as we sat at a rustic table with plenty of space around us, it was so pleasant not to be squeezed in elbow to elbow with other diners. The décor here is contemporary with lovely muted shades, the walls have been partially clad with wood of various colours some featuring the imprint appropriately of an anchor. There are many nice rustic touches whilst the old building still retains many original features, which is quite fitting as it’s Rustic Inns who took over this pub in November 2017 and have worked tirelessly to put together a dining and drinking experience to suit current trends. Our waitress for the evening was Jersey who explained how much she enjoyed the food that the new chef was producing. Three of us ordered starters while one was saving herself for pudding! “It’s worth the wait” said Jersey. My starter was tomato bruschetta which consisted of three slices of rustic bread, tomato, chilli topped with torn mozzarella. A firm favourite of mine, not too overpowering and very clean tasting, a cracking start. Mike devoured his house pate infused with thyme, garlic and mushrooms, it was smooth and spread with ease on to the rustic bread. Generous triangles of salted butter and a homemade chutney accompanied it. Jane chose the battered prawns, dipped and fried in a very light tempura batter and served over a fresh salad, the pot of sweet chilli and lime dipping sauce perfectly added that touch of heat and sweetness. The farmers pie of the day was minced beef and onion which was encased in thin short crust pastry, and I chose the double cooked rustic chips. The pie was lovely and moist and was served with a boat of gravy too which was a bonus, the ‘skin on chips’ were very chunky and the buttered greens not over cooked. Mike’s ale battered cod was served on a wooden board and was huge, even for Mike who has a healthy appetite. Lockwoods mushy peas and sea salted double cooked rustic chips were served with this and a pot of homemade tartare sauce and wedge of lemon completed the dish. His determination to finish was testimony to how enjoyable it was. Julie tried the vegetarian curry which was quite hot and had a good variety of vegetables, her only comment was that she maybe missed a naan bread to go with it. Finally, Jane ordered the homemade lasagne, a slight twist on the usual with smoked bacon and red wine and tomato sauce added to the beef. This made for a very rich dish, but with a beautiful flavour, and the side salad was the freshest I’ve had anywhere. As predicted Mike and I passed on puddings, but Jane and Julie went for and enjoyed a lovely light and fresh raspberry mousse and a baked lemony cheesecake, both homemade and highly recommended. That really sums up the food here: locally sourced wherever possible, the chef has an eye for adding that extra something which lifts this good food just up another level. The presentation too is modern with delicate flower and micro leaf garnishes where appropriate. We had a great evening and there were many more dishes on the varied menu that we would have liked to try, and for those with not so large an appetite there is a ‘Lite bite’ menu available until 6pm. On Sundays there are traditional roasts alongside a reduced weekday menu. But, there’s still plenty there to tempt you at the Hope and Anchor. We all agreed that the Hope and Anchor is “A good pub, with real pub food, and a good collection of real ales. The music is pleasant and not too intruding, and they have a young group of staff that are friendly, relaxed and eager to please. It’s a great place to unwind at the end of the week. 00
Restaurant Review – Santo’s Higham Farm
When was the last time you visited Santo’s at Higham Farm? I expect for many of you reading this it has been a little while, but please take a fresh look as Santo’s continues its heavy investment into refurbishing this beautifully positioned hotel. The latest Santo’s investment is in the kitchens bringing them right up to date with a refurbishment in excess of £130,000 with state of the art equipment, all adding to the efficiency and enabling the chef to spend time to beautifully create new and exciting dishes. Ray, the head chef, has known Santo for 26 years. As a 16 year old he worked with Santo and when Santo came to Higham Farm he asked Ray to join him. Through the years Ray progressed to the position of head chef. Ray left Higham to gain more knowledge and returned two years ago. Some of the current staff Ray has in his brigade have been at Santo’s over 15 years. The emphasis is very much on fresh local produce, with meat from local award winning butcher Owen Taylor and the vegetables sourced locally. Their aim is to produce everything in their own kitchen, from their beautiful selection of home made fresh breads baked daily, right down to churning their own butter! The cheese bread and wholemeal Stilton were a particular hit. Santo’s aim to cater for everyone. The early bird Monday Pizza menu is perfect for a night out with the family – with pizzas from £6.00, and the Sports Bar menu offers more traditional bar food. We were there to sample the new A la Carte Spring menu. This was put together over the last few weeks with input from all the chefs, and was tasted by the waiting staff to tweak the combinations and flavours. Already they are starting on their Summer menu to come up with new ideas and flavours! We went along to sample all the new spring menu and to be fair every dish was fantastic! For starter my personal favourite was ricotta ravioli, filled with simple basil, pepper and ricotta. It was served in a spring vegetable consommé, and drizzled with Scotch bonnet chilli oil which gave it a very subtle kick without being over powering. The fois gras is also a must, served with a truffle brioche with a caramelised top which gave it a little crunch and sweetness; Morel mushrooms and gooseberry relish accompanied this. My partner sampled the mackerel, which came with stripes of pickled cucumber and a touch of horseradish snow that was more like a sorbet that added an inspirational touch fusing the cucumber and mackerel together . The main course that stood out for me was the smoked corn fed chicken breast with confit potato, black garlic purée with roasted garlic, Iceberg lettuce and a butter sauce. The vegetarian option is also a little different – sautéed gem lettuce and arancini, one arancini is filled with asparagus and the other with crispy hen’s egg yolk served with feta cheese and confit tomatoes. A clear winner in my partners opinion was the 12 hour spiced belly pork with saag aloo, tikka foam and served with mini black pepper poppadums, put simply a deconstructed pork curry. The belly pork just melted away, and with flavours of Asia it was a great combination and one my partner highly recommends. If possible make room for a dessert. The lemon meringue with all butter puff pastry and lemon curd is a perfect sweet but sharp dessert with to finish your meal. The aerated chocolate and popcorn ice cream with salted caramel and peanut brittle honeycomb is fantastic too if you have a sweet tooth. Each dish is exquisitely presented – showing the care and detail they put into each component. If Santo and Roma, the hotel manager, were out to impress, then I can honestly say they’ve succeeded. The food excelled, the staff were trained to silver service level; friendly and helpful. Santo’s at Higham Farm is truly on the ‘foodies’ map , whether you’re looking for a meal to help you through the working week, some where to take the family, a quiet meal for two or a special occasion celebration. With ample parking and reasonable prices, their new spring menu fired our imagination and we know it will yours too. 00
