Thank goodness I’ve been blessed with a strong constitution; the Early May Bank Holiday weekend was certainly frenetic! Friday was a close friend’s birthday (so we had to go out for a drink or two!), Saturday was the spankingly good Bottomless Brunch at Barca, Sunday saw The Man and I at Coghlans for a very tasty Wine and Cheese pairing event, and we decided to celebrate family time on the Bank Holiday Monday itself by having lunch at The Devonshire in Upper Langwith 😊.
We’ve never visited this venue before (Fledge has, with friends), so we were pleased to see that there’s a good sized car park on-site. The car park was pretty busy but we got a nice spot and headed over to the main entrance. Our table wasn’t quite ready, so we went through to the beautiful, traditional bar and had a drink whilst we waited. That turned out to be the best decision ever because we were seated next to a lovely couple with perhaps THE cutest dog in the county, a little Border Terrier who I could happily have brought home 😊.
Dogs are more than welcome in the bar side of The Devonshire, and their humans can rest assured that the full menu is served whilst their canine companions are offered treats. Children of all ages are welcome at this superb family pub, too; in the Orangery restaurant we spied highchairs at tables, as well as slightly older kids with their families. Those who require mobility access are also able to enjoy the hospitality at The Devonshire – hurrah!
Speaking of the restaurant, what a stunning space it is! The modern, airy feel comes mainly from the pair of glass, pyramid skylights that allow natural light to stream in, and have two chandeliers in each one for when a boost of illumination is needed. A warm-toned wood floor is complimented by the colour scheme of the upholstery on mix-and-match high-back chairs: Heather, Sage, Russet and Taupe in checks, swirls and solid patterns. In the centre of the restaurant is an imposing stone urn filled with a variety of foliage so that, in true Orangery style, the outdoors flows with the indoors, and creates a wonderfully relaxed feel.
To accompany our meal, Mummy and I shared a bottle of Belvini Pinot Grigio (£18.95) and His Nibs had a pint of Moretti (£5.95), and for starters we ordered Vintage Cheese and Spinach Croquettes with buttered Leeks, Capers and a White Wine and Parsley Sauce (£7.50, Mummy), Creamy Garlic and Tarragon Mushrooms on Toasted Brioche with a Roast Garlic Dressing (£7.50, my choice), and Wild Mushroom, Leek and Pea Risotto topped with Crispy Onions, Parmesan Savings and Basil Oil (£7.25, The Man). Our server was the lovely Keighley, and throughout our meal she was wonderful – thank you for making it such a pleasurable experience 😊.
Without exception, the starters were all super-tasty. Mummy’s croquettes had a surprisingly dense, satisfying texture with a flavour to match, thanks to the punchy Cheddar in them. The outers of each croquette were a golden brown and were beautifully crunchy from being perfectly fried by Chef; not a trace of oiliness could be detected on the palate either, which allowed the full spectrum of taste to be savoured. The sauce was thick enough to cling to cutlery (rather than drip sadly off it and onto clothing!) and there was the perfect amount to ‘moisten’ the dish in the mouth without drowning the croquettes.
His Nibs has recently discovered that he actually doesn’t hate ‘slugs’(mushrooms) as much as he thought; in fact, he quite likes them – he was especially liking them with the Leeks and Peas in his Risotto starter choice! For a starter portion, this was certainly not lacking, size-wise; for those with smaller appetites this would make a delicious main meal, and one that’s very nutritious 😊.
Usually, it’s Mummy Bird that opts for a Mushroom starter, but because I’d decided that I was having a Game main course (ruling out the starter of Game Terrine) I plumped for the Mushrooms as my first course. This morsel can also be adapted as a Vegan option, if you don’t do meat, dairy or egg. I loved the unctuous sauce, and certainly got the Garlic and Tarragon cleanly in my mouth, with the cream adding a silkiness on the tongue. As with the rest of the table, I certainly couldn’t find fault with the portion size here 😊.
As I’ve just mentioned, I had the pan-fried breast of local Pheasant with buttery Celeriac Mash, Braised Red Cabbage, and Balsamic glazed Pears with a rich, vintage Port and Thyme sauce (£16.95) for main. Mummy ordered Mr Boots’ Pork and Herb Sausages with creamy Vintage Cheddar and Chive Mash, real-ale battered Onion Rings, and roast Onion and Red Wine Gravy (£13.95) and The Man plumped for 12-hour, Low-n-Slow Braised Blade of Beef with Herb Mash and Buttered Seasonal Greens, served with a rich Red Wine and Field Mushroom Sauce (£17.50).
We’d been sneakily peeking at various dishes as they came past our table, and they all looked and smelled superb but, even so, we were all still gob-smacked when we saw the quality and quantity that was placed before us by the smartly dressed, smiling staff. Mummy’s trio of Sausages were going to take some eating by themselves, never mind the rest of the dish!! I had been expecting a single breast of Pheasant, so I was wrong-footed when I saw the pair of sizeable breasts sat proudly on top of the mash (don’t be filthy, guys, it’s not a game of innuendo bingo, y’know!). Even His Nibs gasped when he took in the tower of Blade of Beef that he’d somehow got to eat.
All the meats in our meals were cooked marvellously well, retaining the juiciness of the individual types. Flavour ran rampant over our taste buds, resulting in the three of us grinning like idiots at each other as ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ escaped our lips. Mummy especially liked the fact that the Cheddar in her mash had melted, creating strings of scrumminess as she lifted the fork to her greedy mouth 😊. Seasoning was as subtle or robust as it needed to be to balance each dish, and all the vegetables were still gently firm to the bite.
It won’t come as a surprise when I say that only The Man and I ordered pudding; much as she wanted to have a pud, there simply wasn’t an atom of space left in Mummy’s tummy for a sweet treat. I fancied the sound of the Baked Apricot and Amaretto Brioche Bread-and-Butter pudding with warm Devonshire Custard and Apricot glaze (£7.25) and His Nibs went for the Rolo Brownie Skillet with Honeycomb Ice Cream and Toffee Sauce drizzle (£7.75).
An individual-size skillet housed the super gooey Brownie, and you could see the contrasting tones of the chocolate and caramel in the melted Rolo’s that studded the surface of the cocoa-rich Brownie; talk about drool inducing 😊! Sickeningly - and I say this because not a single bit was offered to me (rude!) - I have to report that this was ridiculously moreish and indulgent and if His Nibs had to eat this every day, he said he’d happily do so. Gorgeously creamy Honeycomb Ice Cream added another layer of flavour, as well providing a superb contrast of temperature against the hot Brownie.
I have to say that my choice of pudding wasn’t too shabby either, though I would’ve liked more of the Amaretto coming through, if I’m honest. There’s something very comforting about the softness of a custardy bread-and-butter pudding and this was one was hitting that spot for me 😊. The Apricot half that decorated the square of dessert was lovely and warm which intensified the sweetness of this summer fruit: yummy. The custard was delicious too, having a surprisingly rich Vanila taste that added an excellent depth of luxury to this already lovely pud.
Checkbacks had been done at each of the courses, though sometimes we’d just about finished when they were done! The team were working their socks off though, on a very busy service session so, unless they were a) super-human (as opposed to being super humans 😊), or b) going to pop a broom up their botty’s, there wasn’t much more we could expect from them. Everything was done with a smile and a bit of banter, so that more than made up for the late checks. Our total bill, including drinks at the bar before our meal, came to £115.35. Would we go again? You bet we would, there are loads of other dishes that we want to try! Hot Wings awarded here 😊.
To book a table ring 01623 747777 or visit the website www.thedevonshire.info for online booking, opening times and menu details.
