Restaurant Review – The Poet & Castle
The demise of the local public house has been the subject of many newspaper articles; part of the ethos of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) believes well-run pubs, whether in rural or urban areas, play a critical social role in UK culture as the centres of community life. CAMRA believes that the British pub is a uniquely wonderful institution. The 50,000 or so which remain offer a rich variety of drinking and social environments and contribute significantly to the sum of the nation’s happiness. One of these unique institutions was our destination for a midweek contribution to our happiness; a Wednesday evening in the Poet and Castle on the Market Place in Codnor, Derbyshire. Our taxi dropped us off in the car park at the rear of the pub. One of the first things we spotted was the large outdoor seating area with its extensive views over the fields. Perfect for a family on a warm Summer afternoon. The Poet and Castle is the 5th and latest pub to be owned by the Lincoln Green Brewing Company. The Company, started in 2012 by Anthony Hughes, takes its name from the colour of the woolen cloth associated with the legendary Robin Hood. What began in the garage of his home in Nottingham has grown to include a brewery in Hucknall and the 5 pubs; 4 in his home county of Nottinghamshire and The Poet and Castle in Derbyshire. The Company has a simple philosophy; they believe in ‘proper pubs’ and this is evident in the Poet and Castle. It’s a place with quiet corners. It has big comfy chairs in front of the log burner. It’s a meeting place for dog walkers. It’s somewhere to put the world to rights and for us, somewhere for a Wednesday evening meal. As the owners state ‘You know when you’ve entered a proper pub. It’s a sense, not a blueprint’. We were given a warm welcome by Clive, the manager who explained the Lincoln Green real ales on offer. Their 4 main brews are called Marion, Hood, Archer and Tuck, names associated with the famous outlaw of Sherwood Forest. While Sue chatted to a group of friendly dog walkers I decide to sample the Hood; the bitter. This is a proper bitter; it’s complex flavours and smooth finish are a reminder of how good ale used to taste and is a treat worth making a detour for. The food is pub grub and for that reason the menu does not run on for 4 or 5 pages. There are 4 starters to choose from: goats cheese and red onion flatbread, 2 homemade soups; tomato or leek and potato and mushrooms in a wine and garlic sauce served on toast. There are 7 main course meals which include 2 burgers (one venison and the other a veggie), fish and chips, a beef pie, ham and eggs and a red pepper tagliatelle; 4 of them are available in child portion sizes. We chose the mushrooms and a soup followed by the pie and fish and chips. Everything is freshly cooked. I placed our order with Clive at the bar. He made a note of it and dispatched it to the kitchen along with a glass of Marion light ale he had just pulled and added “That’s to make the beer batter for your haddock.” It doesn’t get more fresh than that. The mushrooms take centre stage in the generous starter. Sautéed mushrooms are served on toasted slices of baguette There’s just a hint of garlic in the creamy wine sauce but it doesn’t mask the delicate mushroom flavour. Toasted baguette also accompanied the fresh leek and potato soup; a soup that can be served in all sorts of shapes and sizes: rustic, chilled and in this instance creamed. The Poet and Castle version is carefully seasoned and uses the whole leek giving it a deep flavour. It’s finished with a swirl of cream to enhance the smooth presentation. I decided to try the lighter, more delicately flavoured Archer American pale ale with my homemade beef pie and its robust gravy made with their own porter; Tuck. The pie pastry was crisp, the triple cooked chips lived up to expectations and I could taste the ale in the tender beef pie filling. Susan’s fish was a fillet of haddock in a Marion beer batter. The white, flaky fish had cooked beautifully inside the crisp beer batter and again the triple cooked chips were delightful. It was served with mushy peas and a dish of tartar sauce. To round off the evening I sampled the Marion. This is a full bodied pale ale with a fresh, zingy aroma and comforting warm malt taste. Along with their real ale they also offer real cider, wines and spirits. There is lager, but not the mainstream brands. We came away with the impression that the Poet and Castle was in the great British tradition of proper pubs; a warm welcome, excellent beers and wines, good conversation and good old fashioned pub grub. 00
Eating Out – The Dog Inn, Pentrich
Many years ago, before man had walked on the moon or The Beatles had got together, one of the simple highlights of a warm summer Sunday evening was to walk with my brother and our parents to The Dog at Pentrich. Our route was via Lowes Hill, Hammersmith, Asher Fields (no A38 in those days) and in to the village. The stroll was timed to put us outside The Dog at precisely 7pm; the time local licensing laws permitted public houses to open on Sunday evenings. Too young to enter the pub, me and my brother would sit outside on a low wall, bottle of Vimto in one hand and a bag of crisps in the other. Our most recent evening visit to the Dog Inn was not going to be for Vimto and crisps but to discover what the new chef, Adam, was offering on the completely re-styled menu. The Dog Inn has changed dramatically over the years; it’s larger; the main extension houses the dining area and has a contemporary interior but still retains many of its period features. It also boasts a wood-burning stove. A welcome site on a cold January night. Jane who, from the start of the New Year, has taken over running the front of house met us. This is a family affair; Jane along with her husband Graham run the bar and restaurant and Chef Adam is their son. Adam has worked in several well-known local restaurants and, until returning to Pentrich, was head chef at one of Sheffield’s top eateries. Some things change for the better and it was a delight to see the array of gins that are now on offer from ‘Bathtub’ through to ‘Rhubarb and Ginger’. Sue ordered a G&T made with the latter. It was served in a long stemmed copa glass which is shaped to enhance the botanicals in the gin. And some things don’t change; I ordered a pint of good old-fashioned Bass and it didn’t fail to delight. We sat and chatted in the cosy bar till our table was ready. Sue started with the soup of the day; a silky, smooth comforting leek and potato with house-baked focaccia; a pillow of soft dough laced through with olive oil infused sundried tomatoes. I chose the salt and chilli squid with a toasted sesame Asian style ketchup. Adam had made a change to the menu and the salad part of the dish was mostly fine strands of mooli. This cool, mild radish provided a counterpoint to the tempura batter on the squid and the hint of mild chilli in the ketchup. This is an ever-evolving menu as I witnessed when my main arrived with spinach; a welcome addition to the rich flavour of the slow cooked marinated blade of beef and the refreshing savoury note of the smooth celeriac fondant. Set on a bed of tangy white onion purée it was accompanied by sliced chestnut mushrooms and just the right amount of deep, dark real ale sauce. A salty note was provided by the crispy cooked pancetta. The plating was thoughtfully balanced and presented a visual feast. For her main Sue chose an 8oz rump steak with a peppercorn and whisky sauce; if there is a grill section to any menu it will always be her first choice. All the steaks are served with, chunky chips, Portobello mushroom, confit tomato, beer battered onion rings and a watercress salad. The steak was grilled beautifully; just the right amount of charring on the outside and still pink on the inside. Throughout the meal we never reached for any extra seasoning. After our unhurried starter and main we had a little room left for desserts; Sue chose the ice cream and I chose the lemon parfait. The ice cream was a trio of flavours, decorated with shards of French meringue, and served with raspberries, blueberries and a buttery, homemade shortbread biscuit. The parfait was served with sherbet, lemon curd and toasted almonds and again decorated with the French meringue. The Dog has a varied and quite extensive bar snacks and meals menu, served till 3pm in the afternoon and 9pm in the evening, which we will be returning to try. There are around 30 wines to choose from ranging from easily affordable whites and reds to some special occasion champagnes. But I still have a soft spot for those warm summer evenings of the late 1950s with a bottle of Vimto. 00
