Sunday Lunch Sharing Board At The Ketch In Kniveton
Published On Sunday 18 Dec 2022 by Sticky Beak
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Mummy Bird clearly hadn’t got the Sunday feels so we booked a table, or rather, The Man Bird did, at The Ketch in Kniveton; it’s a bit further than we usually go but we just fancied a change. The weather, though cold, was dry and bright so we really got to enjoy the spectacular views as we drove up into t’hills.
The Ketch is a beautiful country pub with a couple of double en-suite rooms that have their own lounge, kitchen and fridge for those wanting an escape. This superb venue is back to its original name, having been known for a while as The Bubble Inn, much to the chagrin of locals; us Brits don’t like change, especially when it comes to our beloved pubs!
The log burner was crackling away, kicking out some very welcome heat; I say welcome because it was starting to snow (albeit the very fine stuff) and the gritting wagons were out, furiously spewing out their rock salt to keep the roads safe. We also spied a multitude of metal water bowls and blankets at the entrance for furry family members, so safe to say The Ketch is dog friendly; pawfect, you could say. The Ketch is also very family friendly and there were several tables that had children of all ages seated at them.
Zak took us through to the rear dining area where the first thing you notice is the striking paper on one wall; against the dark background is a variety of fish and seafood species in contrasting white print. Carrying on the marine theme are murals on the walls and a wooden boat wheel and Scallop shells decorating the triangular skylight. The tables and chairs are made of sturdy wood and there are some fabulous raised height chairs as well which gives a bolt of visual appeal; we were seated at one of these and they were the perfect height to just slide onto - no clambering involved, even for stumpy ol’ me!
His Nibs had a pint of Moretti, Fledge had Lemonade (she was the designated driver) and Mummy Bird and I shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio. With drinks sorted, we turned our attentions to the plentiful choices on the Sunday Menu. Although we skipped them, there were some very tempting options on the starter selection, including Airbag Red Shrimp, Halloumi Fries and Coconut Prawn Kebab. All nine starters were priced at £7 -I love it when a venue keeps pricing simple!
There are eight Roast dishes to choose from, priced between £10 and £19, all served with Mash, Garlic Herb Roasties, Stuffing, Seasonal Vegetables, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy. Mummy Bird fancied the Pork Belly (£16) and Fledge went for her beloved Gammon (also £16), but the Man and I went for one of The Ketch’s dazzling specialities; the Sharing Board. On this board there is a Roast Half Chicken, Pork Belly and Gammon, served with everything the usual Roasts come with, but with the addition of Red Cabbage and Pigs-in-Blankets, for the price of £35.
We also ordered sides of Braised Red Cabbage (£4, everyone in our Flock loves it so we figured we’d need extra!), Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese (£4.50) and Creamy Garlic Mash (£4), so there was certainly going to be plenty to go around!
There were plenty of other diners at The Ketch so the room was filled with an assortment of mouth-watering aromas, and the sight of so many scrummy dishes going by was making my tummy rumble! It wasn’t long before Mummy Bird and Fledge’s plates were being placed in front of them and they were heavily laden with plentiful meat and colourful vegetables, topped off with sky-scraping Yorkies. Mummy Bird couldn’t help herself and bit straight into the perfectly done crackling on her thick slices of Belly Pork, commenting on how beautifully crunchy and well seasoned it was.
The Sharing Platter that The Man and I had gone for comes served on a wooden board and seeing the amount of food on it, it’s easy to see why! If this beast was plated up and its accompaniments came in separate bowls it would take at least 5 minutes to all be placed in front of you! As it was, one member brought out the board, another brought out the trio of extra sides and a third person placed regular plates in front of us so that we could serve ourselves. Team work makes the dream work, as they say, and after asking if we wanted any sauces the fantastic team left us to tuck in.
Without exception, every member of The Flock said that their choice of meat was cooked perfectly: Mummy’s Belly Pork was marvellously moist and creamy, its tender flesh melting instantly on her tongue. Fledge is rather partial to Gammon and has had it at plenty of venues, so she knows when it’s a good cut; she remarked on the depth of flavour this particular Gammon had and that it was deliciously juicy. Both ladies had got generous amounts of meat, too. Our Chicken half was excellent, with its mild flavour matched by the softness of both the breast and leg meats, and we agreed with Fledge and Mummy Bird’s assessment of the Pork Belly and Gammon as we tucked into the platters morsels.
I’m not a massive fan of packet stuffing but I do like a properly made sausage-meat stuffing, which is what is served at The Ketch. As well as the pork’s rich flavour there were clean herbs and sweet Apricot pieces to savour which ensured that, although the stuffing slices were pleasingly dense in texture, there was a superb moisture content to them. Equally fab were the (and I know this will be controversial for some of you) charred, seasoned whole Sprouts; salt had been used to add a fab bite on the palate and the charring added a gorgeous smoke note that lifted the sweetness of the Brussels when we bit into them. I even managed to convince His Nibs to try one, and he absolutely hates the ‘Gurn-inducing green things’ (his words, not mine, I love them!), but he admitted that they were ok ; they were super actually, for those that like this winter vegetable.
Braised Red Cabbage always looks cheering doesn’t it, on cold days? As well as adding a pop of colour on our plates, everybody agreed that it tasted great, too. The Cabbage still had a bit of crunch to it, without being tough, and although it isn’t cooked in spices or with fruit at The Ketch it is still wonderfully flavoursome. We were glad we’d ordered extra of this dish because we all kept adding more to our plates as we chomped away! One of my personal faves of a Sunday Roast is a good, satisfying Cauliflower Cheese because not only does it have your healthy veg component in but you get an oozy, comforting cheese sauce as well. The Ketch not only combines these two great elements, they also bung in some Broccoli to boot – and the cheese sauce is ruddy banging; melty and creamy in texture with an incredibly tangy taste. Get in my belly, you beauty!!!
The seasonal vegetables on this occasion were sliced Leeks, Broccoli Florets, Fine Green Beans, and baby Sugar Snap Peas; all cooked perfectly and buttered to give them a catwalk-worthy glossy finish. I forgot to mention the glazed, roasted Carrots and Parsnips that had been on all our plates, and that would’ve been a real travesty! Picture if you will, these glorious root vegetables’ perfect softness that allows them to cocoon your senses in comfort and let you appreciate their intensified sugars: that’s what Chef had toiled to bring us, bless him, and we thoroughly appreciated his efforts.
His Nibs and I had got a bowl of Pigs-in-Blankets on our platter and I can be a bit (ok, a lot!) picky when it comes to sausages, so I gingerly took a small bite, just to test the waters. Credit where it’s due, the mini sausages used at The Ketch for their piggies are proper quality ones and there was no repeat factor to these minxes. Wrapped snuggly in streaky Bacon to keep them juicy and add more flavour layers, these little pigs soon got gobbled up!
There’s no way you could accuse the team at this Kniveton venue of being stingy when it comes to portion sizes; we all commented on how many crisp, herb coated Roasties we’d got! You know there was plenty when I say that we didn’t manage to finish them all, because Fledge and her Daddy are complete spud lovers. The potato love affair continued for us all with the Creamed Garlic Mash and this epitomises winter comfort food; smoother than smooth, plenty of butter for richness and a fab hint of Garlic to pimp up the flavour. We were all in love!
Usually the Yorkshire Pudding is centre stage on a Roast Dinner, but it got a little neglected by us on this occasion because there had just been so many other magnificent items on our plates! The large Yorkies were certainly tasty though and we felt a bit ashamed as we sighed happily when its indulgent batter taste came through clearly in the mouth. These morsels had gorgeous brown, crispy sides and tops that gave way to a softer underside, with no trace of greasiness at all.
If this meal had been a dream, it was one that I didn’t want waking up from! Every mouthful had been a treasure to eat and I lost count of the amount of tastes and textures my senses had been bathed in, something that my Flock agreed with. The only complaint we had was that we simply hadn’t got room for pudding, and there are some seriously scrummy sounding ones on offer, not least Treacle Sponge and Custard, The Ketch Crumble and Chocolate and Almond Torte! Sounds like a good excuse for a re-visit in the not-too-distant future.
I want to say a massive thank you to The Ketch’s owner, Michael, who covered the cost of the sides and Sharing Platter for His Nibs and me for this Flock meal out. Thanks also need to go to Zak and his colleagues who were working out of their skins to make sure all the diners were having a great experience. The Ketch is closed Monday and Tuesday currently, open on Wednesday and Thursday Midday-10pm, Noon-11pm Friday and Saturday, and Midday-9pm on Sunday; whenever their doors are open, they serve food! Check their site for Festive period opening, as it will differ from usual.
Just as a cheeky thought for those that don’t want to eat out on Christmas Day but can’t really be doing with the faff of cooking everything from scratch at home; why not collect one of the ‘Prepped by Us, finished by You’ boxes that The Ketch (they are closed themselves on Christmas Day) and its sister venues do? Just go and collect your pre-ordered box from your preferred location on Christmas Eve: The Plough Inn at Brackenfield, The Remarkable Hare in Matlock, or The Miners Arms at Carsington are all doing the food boxes - you can thank me/them later.
Hot Wings given to this picture perfect venue that is located in a wonderfully scenic setting. Which reminds me; I didn’t mention the spacious beer garden (probs ‘cos it was positively Baltic on the day we visited!), but what a great place this would be in summer to relax and enjoy a cold drink after a days’ rambling or just soaking in the views. For more information, visit their Facebook Page (The Ketch) or give them a call on 01335 218818.
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