Dinner With Friends At The Gate Inn In Tansley
Published On Thursday 9 Feb 2023 by Sticky Beak
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I’m not the worlds’ best cook at the best of times, so when we go away I tend to suggest eating out or grabbing a takeaway. Who really wants to spend their R ’n’ R time slaving over a stove for themselves and/or friends? Not me, that’s for sure! Sunday is probably the chilliest day for most folks, and so The Man, our friends, and I all headed out to The Gate Inn at Tansley for a bite to eat before they headed back home after a fab few days away together.
Having done nothing except eat, drink and laze in the hot tub for the past few days we were a bit over-indulged, so we skipped starters and went straight to mains. The youngest member of our group went for the Traditional Sunday Roast, choosing Turkey as the meat (£14.95, she didn’t have the childs’ portion!); her ‘rents both went for pies – one had the Steak n Ale version, the other went for Chicken, Ham and Leek (both £14.25. His Nibs fancied the 8oz Derbyshire Beef Burger (£14.95) and I chose the Padana Stone-Baked Pizza (£13.95).
It’s always nice to see a venue busy and there was certainly no shortage of other diners when we visited, including large groups that had small babies and children in their midst. All the team were nice and friendly and had got us sorted out with drinks pretty sharpish when we’d arrived and were just as swift taking our food orders.
he Chef and his team cook food fresh to order at The Gate Inn, so we had a little wait - nothing out of the ordinary – but we were soon getting our dishes placed before us. Our Ninja (so called because she has the most beautiful red hair) beamed happily as she took in the full spread on her plate; the Turkey slices were accompanied by a huge homemade Yorkie, a wodge of Pork stuffing, crispy, golden roasties, velvety mash and thick gravy on the plate, with Carrots, Mange Tout, Swede, Sprouts and Cauliflower n Broccoli Cheese all coming in a separate bowl (which also served her parents, Bestie Bird and The Bolton Wanderer, to go with their pies).
We all know kids hoover their dinners up but crikey, our lass polished it off in record-breaking speed! I love to see children with good appetites and Ninja said how good her roast had been, so we were all happy chappies. As I looked around the table it was clear where she gets her influence from; both BB ad TBW were chowing down enthusiastically on their respective pies, both of which were a very generous size.
TBW had gone for the Chicken, Ham and Leek pie, having not had one since havin gone out on a school trip! There were plenty of pieces of Chicken breast meat and meaty Ham bound in a rich, creamy white sauce, with a subtle onion hint coming courtesy of the sliced Leeks. The shortcrust pastry case of the pie was nicely golden and crisp on the top, its pieces of buttery yumminess melting as they hit the warmth of his tongue. Bestie had gone for the bolder, deeper tasting Steak and Ale pie and you certainly got both elements coming through clearly on the palate, nicely balanced rather than one dominating the flavour profile. The Gate Inn offers Chips or Mash with its pies and it was gratifying to see that ours isn’t the only divided camp in the world: BB had chips, TBW went for mash, and both were deemed to be superb. All the veggies were cooked beautifully, but the clear winner was the lightly crusted Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese delight; this was seriously scrummy and got demolished first by everyone!
Described as an 8oz burger, His Nibs knew he was going to be served with a real meaty beast, but even so, his eyes popped out on stalks when it was put down in front of him! Housed in a tasty sourdough bun, the beef patty was gorgeously juicy and its deep flavour spilled over The Man’s tongue, making him sigh contentedly. A thick slice of chargrilled Bacon added its tuppence-worth to the taste stakes, as well as bringing some ‘chew time’ to this morsel. Melted Cheese was oozing seductively down the side as His Nibs was biting into the bun, accompanied by the colourful, tangy relish that was also in the mix. Concluding the burger were the classic garnish elements of lettuce and tomato, their coolness arousing the senses as they contrasted with the warm meats. Thin, crisp fries and creamy, crunchy Coleslaw were superb accompaniments to this really flavoursome offering.
I’ve eaten more than my fair share of Pizzas over my life and the one here at The Gate Inn at Tansley was hitting the mark brilliantly. The musky Goats Cheese was warm and soft, paired superbly with sticky, sweet , Red Onion Marmalade and sharper fresh Red Onion slices. Baby Spinach leaves added a clean, bright taste in the mouth, allowing the intense sun-blushed Tomatoes to pop on the palate. Mild, creamy Mozzarella had been liberally peppered amongst the other ingredients and I relished its comforting strings as they wove a sort of tightrope between the pizza slice and my greedy mouth! The dark, dramatic ribbons of Balsamic glaze made the whole pizza look amazing, their rich character lighting up my mouth and getting the taste buds’ attention. All this deliciousness had perched on a wonderfully thin, perfectly crisp Italian-style base and pizza fans, like me, really couldn’t wish for more. Needless to say, every little bit got eaten, with only a few tell-tale crumbs the only evidence that I’d ever received my food!
Our server had been checking that our dishes had been to our liking, and was very happy to be carrying away a quintet of empty (and therefore light!) plates back to the kitchen. I also imagine that Chef would be pleased to see that his efforts had been appreciated. Hot Wings happily given here and, given how good the Sunday Roast looked, I imagine we’ll be revisiting with Mummy Bird in tow in the not-too-distant future.
For more details visit the website www.gatepub.co.uk or give them a ring on 01629 583838.
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