Back For Lunch At The Manor House Hotel On Holy Island
Published On Wednesday 6 Nov 2024 by Sticky Beak
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Why is it that time seems to be passing by quicker and quicker? Sitting down at one of the tables in The Manor House Hotel on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, manager Sara and I, realised that it was nearly 2 years since we’d last caught up!
Whenever His Nibs are in his birth-county, we always have to come to Holy Island; there’s just something mesmerising about its beauty – even on a grey, mizzly day like this particular one. Having [seemingly] rinsed the gift shop of its contents and mooched around the village, it was time for lunch, so we headed off to our fave place on the island, The Manor.
Sara had kindly reserved us a table with easy access for the wheelchair that we were using; so whilst I was stowing it away and yapping to Sara, His Nibs went to the bar and ordered our drinks. Having quenched our initial thirsts, we had a look at the menu and I picked out what I was having for my lunch straightaway: that’ll be the local Crab Sandwiches on brown bread with Salad and ‘Slaw (£14.95), please. Unusually, The Man went for Holy Island Fish n Chips (£18.95): locally sourced Haddock in a Real Ale batter, with handcut Chips and Minted Mushy Peas, and there must’ve been something in the air, because Mummy also went off-piste and had the Manor Cheeseburger with Relish, ‘Slaw and Fries (£15.95).
We weren’t the only ones in The Manor House Hotel grabbing a bite to eat or a hot drink, there were plenty of tables taken by either couples, groups of friends, families and those with dogs. For those needing it, there is a ramp to the side of the front steps for walking aids or wheelchairs, and the toilets are plenty large enough for wheelchair users, too.
As with other venues that cook their food-to-order, we had a little wait for our meals but, when they arrived a short time later, you could see twirls of steam coming from The Man- and Mummy- Bird’s plates. Wasting no time at all, we dived into our meals, happy smiles spreading as our taste buds got their first bolt of flavour.
The batter of His Nibs’ Haddock was blooming gorgeous – not a bit of greasiness in the mouth, which let the sweetness of the fish shine brightly. Equally great were the sizeable Chips, with their golden outers and floury, soft inners – you have to have proper, good Chips with Fish, otherwise the meal just doesn’t work, does it? Chef is clearly a F+C aficionado, as he gets the combo spot-on. The Mushies were thick enough to dunk chips in without spilling everywhere and wonderfully sweet, with a hint of Mint coming through nicely. A chunky Tartare sauce also got used for dunking (I know, we’re a classy lot!) and this was a really nice element of the dish. Presentation-wise, you couldn’t fault this humble British classic either; a colourful garnish of Lemon twist and verdant Cress fronds enhanced the golden beauty of the Haddock fillet.
Mummy Bird is of that generation who don’t really ‘get’ the trend for towering burgers; she just wants a tasty Beef Patty with some Lettuce, a bit of Tomato and some Relish for ‘wetness’. At The Manor House Hotel kitchen, that’s exactly what you get; nothing fancy (though still carefully presented), just a deeply tasty, pleasingly dense burger with flavoursome partners. Having cut the burger into half for her, Mummy easily managed it between her hands and the fries just kept getting scooped out of their bowl and disappearing into her mouth.
Both mine and mummy’s meals had got ‘Slaw as part of them, and Sara bathes her crunchy veggies in a gently spiced Mayo which makes them a smidge different to ‘regular’ options. Coleslaw is something that Mummy Bird and I both like, and the chunkiness of this particular one was superb; I think the texture of a ‘slaw needs to be considered carefully. Personally, I like a finer one with ‘picky teas’, picnics or buffets and a coarser one with Burgers, Lasagne’s or already fine-texture dishes etc. so I was a very happy bunny that the ‘Slaw contrasted with the fine, sweet Crab in my sandwich.
Talking of the local Crab sandwich, what a total bobby dazzler it was! The nutty flavour of the fresh, Brown Bread was the perfect backdrop for the Crabmeat mix to bounce off. Some other Northumbrian venues serve only the claw meat in their sandwiches – which is mighty fine, I love it! – but Sara mixes the Claw meat, Brown Meat and Coral all together so you get a much more robust ‘fishier’ morsel and then binds it with a well-seasoned dressing. The result is a pleasingly silky experience in the mouth, without it being too wet and soggy. Honestly, if you love Crab, you’ll love this sandwich. The Salad was cool and crisp, composed of Mixed Leaves, Tomato, and Cucumber and provided plenty of texture, aided well by the aforementioned ‘Slaw.
Our tummies were stuffed nicely, re-fuelled enough to carry on exploring for a while before the tide turned and we needed to leave or else risk getting marooned for the night on Lindisfarne…which wouldn’t be so bad, would it? That’s given me an idea; next year we could stay over for the night: we’ve never actually done that, but always wanted to. Watch this space, folks for ‘Sticky’s Overnight Odyssey on Lindisfarne’!
Hot Wings still happily given to The Manor House Hotel, and more so for the lovely Sara – one of the loveliest ladies you could wish to meet. To book a stay at the Hotel or a table to eat, ring 01289 389207. For more information visit the Facebook page Manor House Hotel or the website www.manorhouseholyisland.com
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