Freemasons at Wiswell

The Freemasons at Wiswell spent a long time right at the top of my 'places to eat' list before I was able to find the time to visit.

It ticks all the boxes of somewhere I would love - hidden away in a small village within the Ribble Valley, serving local produce and highly recommended.

The pub has been recognised as a great food destination and was named the 'Top Pub in the UK' by The Good Food Guide.

It is classically rustic inside but also has a modern feel.  This is a country pub with a contemporary twist and that is reflected in the food.

Complimentary Bread:

Everyone loves it when the waiter brings across some free bread to get you started.  However, not everywhere does bread like they do here.  

Warm rolls, soaked with beef fat and covered in salt and rosemary.

You don't get better bread than that.  

Organic Egg:

Crispy Hen's Egg, "Gammon and Pineapple". 

Hannah is a sucker for any sort of egg based starter after she fell in love with the Hearth of the Ram's Scotch Egg.  The runny yolk of the Freemason egg had her smiling.

Lamb:

Kofta, BBQ Lettuce, Miso Aubergine, Mint and Yoghurt.  

I will always go for anything with BBQ on the menu and I wasn't disappointed.  Subtle flavours that hit the spot but not too sweet to overpower the flavour of the meat.

Aged Beef:

Roast Sirloin, Yorkshire Pudding, Duck Fat Potatoes, Cauliflower Cheese, Roast Beef Juices.

I think the images speak for themselves. 

WOW.

The cauliflower cheese was scrumptious.  

Quite a few restaurants and people up north seem to love it with a roast, but before I moved up here I had never heard of putting it with a traditional Sunday lunch.

Perhaps it is a northern thing but whoever came up with the idea was a bloody genius. 

Fish of the Day:

Cod, Southport Potted Shrimps, Chipped Potatoes.

I rarely order seafood but after my father-in-law decided to try the cod, it triggered some serious food envy.  

Next time, I may have to go for fish instead of meat!

Lemon:

Cheesecake and Vanilla Ice Cream.

Neatly presented and fresh enough to cleanse my palate.  A really good way to end a fantastic meal. 

Michel Cluizel:

Dark Chocolate Mousse and Passion Fruit.

The strange name for this dessert relates to the source of the chocolate.  Based in Normandy, Michel Cluizel have been in business since 1948 and their product was put to good use in the kitchen at Freemasons.

The Ribble Valley is full of wonderful places to eat, especially if you like local produce.

The Freemasons at Wiswell matches the quality I associate with the area and is the perfect place to go if you want a drive into the countryside followed by some high quality food.

You don't end up as the best pub in the UK for nothing! 

Check out my other Ribble Valley blogs here.

The Church House Inn, Marldon

Good service is just as important as good food.

Personally, I think every eatery should live by those words.  The dining out experience is as much about the way you are treated by the staff as it is about munching on memorable grub.  You want a special experience everywhere you go.

Just like the quality of the food, a rude waitress or unhelpful manager can ensure you never return to that establishment ever again.  

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have just returned from a family holiday in Devon where I had some memorable meals out.
Sadly, not all of those meals were memorable for the right reasons...

As a family we decided to have a celebratory meal out at the beginning of the week and set about finding a good pub somewhere close to where we were staying in Compton, near Torquay.  

Close by we found The Church House Inn, Marldon which, according to their website, has won multiple awards including 'Country Pub of the Year' as voted by readers of 'Devon Life'.

However, if I learnt anything from the trip it was that not all restaurants with 'awards' live up to the hype.

The first thing which took us aback about the Church House Inn was the price of the drinks. A cider and southern comfort and lemonade came to £8.

When we rang to book a month in advance, we were advised to come at 2pm. However straight after ordering drinks, we were rushed to our seat and rudely advised whilst browsing the menu that the chef was awaiting our order as the kitchen was about to close. Everything from then on was hurried and it soon became clear that the staff were hovering, eager to get us out.  

I ordered the Roast Beef which was of a decent standard but Hannah's portion, which I tasted to confirm, was as tough and dry as old boots.  The veg was also looking sorry for itself but at least they gave a decent, 'northern' amount of gravy.

My Brother-in-Law ordered the Seafood Platter which looked pretty good and had several small portions of fish from the coast, including smoked salmon. 

In fact, The Church House Inn seems to do seafood much better than they do other dishes. My Father-in-Law had a pleasant prawn curry dish which he really enjoyed.

This meal was not ruined because of the food though, it was the poor service.  

The accolade for 'worst service I've ever encountered' goes to the staff at the Church House Inn who started hoovering around the restaurant as we ate. It was only until we mentioned this to the Manager that they turned the hoover off.  When I confronted them about these issues, I was informed that the reason for the rushing and cleaning up around us was because the chefs and waiting staff wanted to go home and were waiting for us to finish our meals.

Determined not to let this spoil our family meal we asked to look at the dessert menu (which didn't go down well) as my two nieces fancied ice cream on this beautiful day. However the ice cream was £5.50 a portion which seemed extortionate given the quality of the mains.

In the end the Church House Inn took the disappointing beef dish off the bill after we explained we were not paying for it. We left a disgruntled note on the comment card and subsequently the owner called me the next day with an apology and an offer of a free meal for two.  

No one was keen to go back. 

A strong reminder to us foodies that when it comes to places with awards that all that glitters is not gold.

Hearth of the Ram, Ramsbottom

Ramsbottom is nestled in the beautiful Lancashire countryside and Hannah and I find ourselves taking the short drive there from Bolton at least twice a month.

It really is a stunning town and boasts a lot of good places to visit on a day out such as The Chocolate Cafe, steam trains at Ramsbottom Railway Station, a bustling monthly farmers' market and Hearth of the Ram which happens to be our favourite restaurant.

It has gotten to the point now where every weekend I turn to Hannah and suggest we head for Sunday lunch there and today was no different.  Ramsbottom was holding its annual 'Wartime Weekend' but this played only a supporting role to our food.

On Sundays, the Hearth do a special menu with 2 courses for £20.95 or 3 courses for £25.95.  Hannah and I chose to share two starters from the 'Nibbles' section, which are smaller options but are just a little bit special.

We always have to try the 'Hearth of the Ram Scotch Eggs'.  If you end up eating here then please make sure to order them because you won't be disappointed.  They are creatively presented in a little egg box with a crispy outside, a succulent meaty inside and a runny quail's egg surprise in the middle.  

We also decided to try something new so plumped for 'Lancashire Rarebit with Sourdough Soldiers'.  I adore melted cheese but until today I had never ordered a rarebit - I was missing out if they taste anything like this one.  The dish comes with homemade crispy bread soldiers and a side of melted cheese which makes for fun eating.  Perfect if you just want a light bite and a pint or as a small starter if you can't manage three courses.

For main, I ordered the 'Roast Rib of Beef' which comes with a gigantic Yorkshire Pudding, gorgeous vegetables, and crispy and light roast potatoes cooked just the way I like them.  There is also some horseradish sauce to compliment the beef with a velvety smooth veal gravy.  The dish also comes with a cauliflower gratin side.  

Hannah almost chose the beef too but opted for the 'Roast Leg of Lamb' at the last second.  It was a great choice with succulent lamb, a mixture of crunchy and puréed vegetables, creamy mash and a mint and redcurrant jus.  She was more than satisfied, for a second I thought she'd eaten the pattern off the plate.

We left just enough room for dessert... well why not?

I went for the old faithful, chocolate fondant served with banana and peanut brittle and banana ice cream which was light but a satisfying end to a delicious meal.  

My other half had strawberries and cream with a lime cake (posh trifle) and found it both a fresh and beautiful summer dessert.

We were well and truly stuffed.

Having visited the Hearth of the Ram on numerous occasions, I am yet to find a dish I don't love and they were deservingly awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2014.  Euan and his team always make us feel welcome and can't do enough to make your visit special.

A roast on a Sunday is the law in our family and this is one we always come back for.  

Can't wait to see what next Sunday has in store...