Sunday Lunch At The Bell in Smalley
Published On Sunday 2 Oct 2022 by Sticky Beak
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I think I’m going to change His Nibs’ name to ‘Arfur’; he literally had one job to do (book a table for Sunday Roast), but managed to just book it for two people not three! Thankfully the team at The Bell in Smalley had put us on a big enough table anyway, but can you imagine the ruckus if there’d been a toss-up between His Nibs and Mummy Bird as to who was joining me to dine ;)?! It did, at least, provide a bit of entertainment for our lovely server, who was still chuckling as she went to get our drinks sorted.
We’ve been to The Bell before, although not since before the calamity that was Covid, and it’s had a spruce up since then. The decor is lovely and bright with nice features to admire and there are new tables and chairs as well, which Mummy Bird took a real shine to. Having got settled, we began to look at the menu...
Sunday Lunch is served between Noon and 5pm and we went a bit later in the day as we’d been busy putting finishing touches to our decorating endeavours. The downside to visiting late on in the service period became evident when we ordered our mains: the Derbyshire Topside of Beef was sold out; not to panic though, His Nibs joined me in having the garlic-stuffed Leg of Lamb and Mummy opted for the Buttered Turkey Breast. We ladies had the regular sized roast at £11 and The Man went large for £13 – notice how none of us went for the small option at £9? #greedyguts’s !!!
It was still pretty lively with folks dining, and there were all age groups present, including a beautiful new baby girl and her proud Mummy and Daddy, so we did have to wait a bit longer than we’d have ideally liked. I guess that’s the price you pay for having freshly cooked food though, eh?
The Sunday roasts at The Bell at Smalley come with Roasted OR mashed Potato, Yorkie pud, Sage and Onion Stuffing, Cauliflower Cheese, Seasonal Vegetables and Gravy as standard (you can add extra Gravy for a quid) and then there’s a raft of extras available for £2.50 each: Creamy Leeks (we went for these), Honey Glazed Parsnips, Pigs in Blankets, Cauli Cheese, Roasties, and Mashed Potato. Not sure how I feel about not having both sorts of Potato included in my Sunday dinner as a matter of course, but I was very happy to see Cauliflower Cheese there, so maybe it’s a case of ‘you win some, you lose some’? Having said that, The Man asked for, and got, roasties AND mash, figuring that ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’!
Our meals were all brought over nice and quickly, so we weren’t waiting for one person’s meal to arrive before we could tuck in, and honestly, the young lady who was serving us couldn’t have been lovelier. We eagerly tucked in and all agreed that our choice of meats were beautifully cooked and mouth-wateringly tender. The Man- and my- Lamb had the most gorgeous hint of garlic at its periphery, but it didn’t over-power the meat at all. You certainly get plenty for your dosh, and even more meat if you splash more cash for the large option – take your appetites peeps, Chef is a feeder.
The veg was a little unconventional in part -a Pea, Sweetcorn and Cabbage mix – which threw The Man off a bit, but our old fave (Glazed Carrots) brought things back on track for him. All the vegetables were superbly cooked though and the homemade, sky-scraper sized Yorkies had a fantastic crunch to their outers and those comfortingly soft inners (no soggy bottoms though, I’m pleased to report).
I know I wang on about roasties needing crisp outers (it’s important to me, ok?) so let me introduce you to possibly the best ones I’ve had in yonks. Not only were these beauties a good size, they had a thick, crisp golden crust that gave an audible crack when cut into and that fluffy, pale centre which melts in your mouth. My pleasure centre exploded with, well, pleasure and I just kept gobbling them up until they’d all gone; you all know I’m not usually a massive fan of the spud, but I could eat these all day! I wasn’t alone in my praise for them either; Mummy Bird and The Man were just as thrilled with them.
Another thing that I always think is that if an item is good enough to warrant a mention (and I am specifically referring to the Sage and Onion Stuffing here) then it needs to live up to the hype; wouldn’t you all agree? Thankfully, the stuffing did that, and more, with its nicely crisp (but not hard) top and softer underbelly, but it was the bright, lively Sage taste that came through that won me over. The Onion provided a nice balance of flavour, as well as a hint of crunch to bolster the breadcrumbs texture, making this an excellent stuffing to get stuck into.
The Cauli Cheese was another triumph for Chef at The Bell, at least in these diners eyes! Somehow, there was absolutely the right amount of cheese sauce coating each (still gently firm) floret without it leaking onto the plate, and then a thick, melted cheesy crust added even more scrummy richness to it – utter perfection. Creamy leeks had been the request of His Nibs and though it pains me to admit it, this was a stupendous decision! The Leeks themselves were perfectly cooked and pieces of tasty Pancetta pimped up the taste stakes, with an unctuous cream-based sauce binding it all together as this accompaniment lingered in our mouths.
I had to (?!) help Mummy and The Man out with their Yorkies (His Nibs had got two as part of his large dinner) so I knew that I wouldn’t be in the game for pudding on this occasion, and it turned out that none of us could manage it – which doesn’t happen very often at all! What we had had though, we thoroughly enjoyed. Hot Wings awarded to this fab Smalley Team.
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