Out For Dinner At The George Inn, Tideswell
Published On Sunday 28 May 2023 by Sticky Beak
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You can’t beat a drive in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside when it’s gorgeously sunny, and that’s exactly what His Nibs and I were doing on our way to The George Inn at Tideswell 😊. When we bagged a spot in the car park (on the smaller side, but there’s on-road parking too so no need to panic) we were in an excellent mood, and this only got better as soon as we stepped through the doors and into a great example of a traditional village pub.
Some folks were seated on the right side, which is generally regarded as more the side to go if you’re stopping off for a drink, and the left-hand side houses the ‘restaurant’ area. In the restaurant the ceiling beams are painted black, contrasting well with the top half of the walls and their warm cream tone; the lower half of the walls are painted in a dark grey that is picked up by the checked carpet. A welcoming amber hue is cast by the large lightbulbs wound around wooden plinths in the centre space, and plain glass and bulb wall lights at the periphery.
Owners Rory and Rebecca have recently invested in kitting out the Court Yard area at the back of The George Inn and, wow, has it created a super space or what?! 😊. To call it a hidden paradise is to not do it justice at all really, but that’s immediately what you think as you take in the twinkling fairy lights, baskets of foliage and flowers and Cabanas with heaters in. There are plenty of velvety blankets and throws to keep you warm as well, whether you’re in a Cabana, at one of the free-standing tables or up in the sheltered, raised area that doubles as a stage for the live music on offer every month at The George Inn. You really do feel tucked away in your own oasis of calm, surrounded by high stone walls from the buildings and the pub itself. Dogs are welcome in the Court Yard too, as well as in all areas of The George Inn, and there’s a jar of biscuit treats for them located near the bar – how nice is that? 😊.
Anyhow, back to us and our table inside! Georgia (our lovely server for the evening) got us sorted out with drinks – Malbec for me, Estrella for The Man - and left us to look through the menu. Rory came over and gave us the heads-up by saying that 4 of the ‘small plates’ make the perfect starter for a couple; so that’s we opted to do! There are 9 items to choose from on the small plate section of the menu and they’re all priced at £6 individually or you can grab 4-4-£20; we chose Beetroot, Feta, Walnut, Crostini; Black Pudding Hash Cake, Bacon and Fried Egg; Pork Belly Bites with Sticky Asian Glaze, Sesame Seeds and Spring Onion; Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet Chilli Dip.
It wasn’t long before Georgia was popping two platters before us, each housing a pair of bowls of yumminess 😊. All four bowls were beautifully presented, with thought given to colours and placement of elements so that, visually, they would have that ‘wow’ factor. Looking at them, we knew we’d got our work cut out…the size of the Black Pudding Hash Cake alone would’ve sufficed as a starter, without its companions! So, having taken the photos, it was time to pick up our cutlery and dig in.
Other than His Nibs picking at the cubed Feta, I pretty much had the Beetroot, Walnut and Feta Crostini to myself, and I was more than happy with this because the flavours really popped in my mouth 😊. Tangy cheese was mellowed by the earthiness of jewel-coloured Beetroot and there was a superb textural side to the dish as well, thanks to the crunchy Walnut halves and the crispy Crostini.
The Black Pudding had been fashioned into a burger-esque patty and had a superbly crisp outer that revealed a velvet soft inner with a wonderfully robust taste. Chef had chopped the bacon into teeny-tiny strips and fried them to crispy perfection, which served to intensify the flavour of the meat as well as add textural interest to this dish. Creaminess from the rich, still-runny egg yolk gave an edge of glamour to this delicious morsel.
I seriously don’t think Chef could’ve crammed any more filling into the Spring Rolls if he’d tried! Held within the golden pastry was a flavoursome medley of vegetables that were tasty in their own right, but when dunked into the Sweet Chilli dipping sauce, this dish bounced on the tongue really nicely. Other than the Crostini, all the other small plates we’d chosen were served hot, and they were exactly that: hot, not warm.
Georgia had checked we were enjoying our small plates and happily gathered up all the empty bowls and plates when we’d finished. As she was about to go back to the kitchen, she asked if we’d like some water bringing out when she returned, to which we replied “yes please”. Moments later, she returned with a carafe of chilled water and a pair of beautifully decorated glasses; nice bit of customer care 😊.
His Nibs had opted for Chef’s Pie (£14.50) from the ‘Pub Classics’ menu, and on this particular day it was Beef, Tomato and Onion; this perennial favourite comes with Mash or double-cooked Chips and Garden Peas or Seasonal Vegetables. No prizes for guessing that The Man went for Mash and Peas! If you love a ‘proper’ short pastry pie that’s filled chocka-block to the rim then this is the place to be; His Nibs was grinning in delirium at the sight before his eyes, and his mood only got better as he took the first bite. The buttery pastry melted on his tongue, closely followed by the chunks of super-tender Beef 😊. Tomato added a marvellous richness and sweetness to this pie, and the thinly sliced Onion gave some real ‘oomph’ and body to the pie’s gravy. This was excellent in terms of quality and quantity; guaranteed to satisfy the heartiest appetite! The Garden Peas were zhuzhed up with Mint and were lightly buttered to give them a luxury edge and a catwalk-worthy gloss. Smooth-as-glass Mash completed this classic trio, and was even better for the perfect balance of seasoning to the floury spud.
My own choice of main course was the pan-fried Fillet of Sea Bass with Crushed Potato, Green Beans and a Tomato and Sweet Pepper Salsa (£15.75), and I also ordered a side of House Salad (£4). As with the small plates, I couldn’t fault the presentation of this dish; the Rosti-like Potato was topped with two generous fillets of Sea Bass that were decorated with a colourful Salsa and Pea Shoots. Chef had got it absolutely bang on with the fish: nicely crisped skin and soft, flavoursome, juicy fish that lingered on the palate magnificently.
I’d been expecting the crushed Potatoes to be just that: New Potatoes that were gently flattened, so nothing spectacular, but tasty. What I got was a deep rosti of seasoned, crushed Potatoes and green Lentils (I’m assuming Puy, because they hadn’t gone mushy during cooking?) that certainly got the attention of my taste buds 😊. I’m pleased to report that the Green Beans were still ‘squeaky’ to the bite, too; nothing worse than soggy, over-cooked veg is there? In contrast to the warm elements of this dish was the cool, clean tasting Tomato and Sweet Pepper Salsa – very nice on a warm evening.
The house Salad was jolly nice too, with its light coating of dressing just detectable on the palate 😊. Fresh Cherry Tomato halves, thinly sliced Radish, diced Cucumber, Red- and Yellow- Peppers, and Red Onion and Mixed Leaves all crunched pleasingly in my mouth. Perfect.
Georgia had again checked we were happy with our meals and smiled at the lack of food going back to the kitchen as she cleared away our clean plates. Rory also came over to garner our thoughts on the food and the Courtyard (which he and Rebecca are clearly, and rightly, very proud of).
Our lack of will-power really is shameful; our tummies were satiated, but we still couldn’t resist a peek at the dessert menu – no wonder I spend half my time at the gym!!!
On the dessert menu was something called the ‘Tidza Pud’; never heard of one of those before, but its description sounded oddly familiar. Then Rory enlightened me: it’s the local take on our county’s beloved (and iconic) sweet treat, the Bakewell Pudding; instead of batter mix, the Tidza Pud uses Puff Pastry to contain its jam and Almond filling. Well, not only does curiosity kill the cat, it also proves too much for me to resist, so I ordered that for my third course 😊. The Man Bird went for his Sticky Ginger Pudding that had a Ginger Beer Syrup – how good does that sound?!
Don’t judge me but, whenever we dine out, I always have a bit of a competition with The Man as to who has the ‘prettiest’ dish! On this occasion I was calling ‘winner’: my Tidza pud had THE most alluring scalloped edge, and you could clearly see the layers of golden pastry. Once I’d defiled the pastry layer, I was rewarded with a silky smooth, sweet Almond layer that seductively clung to the inside of my cheeks and gleeful Raspberry Jam that spilled its enthusiasm over every cell it encountered. Compliments to ‘Carol across t’road’ who made this spectacular pudding. You can choose pouring Cream, Ice Cream or Custard to accompany this minx, and I chose classic, creamy Custard 😊.
The Man Bird’s Sticky Ginger Pudding was alluringly dark in colour; a clue as to the depth of flavour he could expect. It did not disappoint on the flavour front, let me say, and it was also pleasingly light in texture so that it wasn’t going to lay heavy on the tum at the conclusion of a substantial meal. The Ginger Beer Syrup was sublimely sticky and sweet, so if you’ve got a sweet tooth and you like the taste of Ginger, this is your gal 😊.
Gotta say (and I am being totally honest here, Rory and Rebecca) we were expecting a good meal at The George Inn, but everything exceeded our expectation by a good old margin – this is pub grub done very, very well and at a fair price, too! We had our usual Black Coffees (using The Heavenly Coffee Company beans) to wrap things up and then, after bidding farewell to Rory, Rebecca, Georgia and the rest of the team, headed off back through the spectacular Derbyshire countryside to home.
Hot Wings most certainly awarded here to this fantastic Tideswell venue; we’ll certainly be back 😊. Oh, and if you’re passing on a Friday, then they have a cracking offer on: 2x Beer-Battered Fish with double cooked Chips and a bottle of Prosecco for £32, 5-8.30pm.
To book a table call 01298 384213 or visit the website www.georgeinn-tideswell.co.uk for all the details.
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