I’m gonna blame the good ol’ Menopause for the crippling brain fog that had me pleading for help from you guys for suggestions where to go for a Sunday Roast! Thankfully, you all came through - and then some, thank you – and we got some great suggestions. In the end, we settled for somewhere that we loved, but never got back to; having so many fab eateries in and around the ‘Shire is both a blessing and a curse (in the best way).
Our venue of choice was The Horseshoes at Long Lane Village, Ashbourne and, despite the god-awful weather, it was a lovely drive out there. The car park only has one disabled spot at the front of the venue, and the rest of the space is ‘cosy’ to say the least, at busy times! However, we did manage to get a decent spot and not get too wet as we made our way inside.
Dogs are very welcome in the bar area (where you can also eat) and one particular pooch had made themselves very comfy at the feet of its owners; so much so, you could just tell that he/she was not going out into that horrible wet anytime soon! Like any self-respecting country pub, The Horseshoes has a very welcoming atmosphere and a good selection of Cask- and Keg- Ales on offer, as well as a spanking range of Gins and Wines…just in case you needed to know.
We were a few minutes early for our table, so we sat at one of the tables in the bar area and sipped our drinks: Malbec for me, Pinot Grigio for Mummy, and a pint of Neck Oil for His Nibs. It wasn’t long before one of the team were escorting us through to the restaurant and settling us in, pouring some water into heavy-cut glasses for us whilst we looked over the menu. The Sunday menu is dead simple: 2 courses for £24, or three for £30; the only surcharge was £4 for the Beef Sirloin and the Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese as a side, if you wanted it (which we most definitely did!).
To start I had the Burrata with Roasted Peaches, Raspberries, Beetroot and roasted Peanut; Mummy had the Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad, and His Nibs had Soup of the Day, which was Tomato and Smoked Paprika. For mains, Mummy went for the Fish of the Day (pan-fried Salmon Fillet), The Man opted for the Derbyshire roasted Sirloin of Beef, and I fancied the Derbyshire roasted Leg of Lamb.
The starters were all beautifully presented and we eagerly tucked in. I was instantly smitten with my choice; the creamy, silky Burrata cheese was perfectly complimented by the intense perfumed sweetness of the roasted Peach slices and the tart, fresh Raspberries. Earthy Beetroot was sweet and tempting on the palate, with a super burst of texture and nuttiness form the Peanuts. A smattering of mixed Leaves completed this gorgeous starter, and I was very much looking forward to the rest of my meal, given the standard of this minx.
Now, many people pooh-pooh Soup in favour of more ‘glam’ dishes but I tell you what, this humble offering got transformed into something rather wonderful at The Horseshoes. Sweet, in-season Tomatoes were zhuzhed up by the addition of rich, smoky Paprika to make a real belly-warming bowl of wondrousness. All that was needed was a good, wholesome bread roll and some salted butter. Perfect.
Smoked Salmon isn’t your usual element in a Caesar Salad, but it really works; the oily, silky fish contrasts brilliantly with the super-crunchy croutons, and its rich taste bounces off the punchier bite of Anchovies. With Bacon also being in this starter, it would be easy for the palate to get overwhelmed, but the inclusion of crisp, cool Lettuce just calms the profile down a notch or two. Mummy said that she could quite happily have this [scaled-up] as a main course - another delicious start to the meal.
Having checked that we were happy with our starters, it came as no surprise to our server, when he returned later, that a trio of clean plates and bowls awaited him. Well, we like to make the serving teams’ job as easy as we can! In the interlude between starters and mains, I took in the decor a little better. If natural materials are your design passion, then you’ll love the inspo at The Horseshoes; natural stone, red brickwork, leather, wood and metal all feature heavily in the restaurant, creating a delightfully relaxed, calm place to dine. A regal Stag looks down over his domain from an elevated position above the bar; a further nod to the rural setting of this venue. I like to think that he was making sure everything was running ship-shape and Bristol-fashion and, given the timely arrival of our main courses, I think Mr. Stag would be satisfied.
Mummy Bird’s [hefty] Salmon Fillet had brilliantly crisped skin to it and came with a delicious Panang Cream Sauce, wilted Pak Choi, crunchy Beansprouts and Peppers, and a timbale of fluffy Jasmine rice. The Salmon was beautifully soft and juicy, flaking apart with a light pressure from Mummy’s cutlery; flavour-wise, it was superb, too. Bringing a great contrast to the softness of the fish and rice were the crunchy vegetables; the different colours added some visual appeal as well.
Both the Lamb and Beef had been cooked perfectly, and His Nibs and I grinned with happiness as their soft flesh rolled over our taste buds. Chef had piled plenty of slices on our plates and, given how hungry we were, we smiled appreciatively as we popped piece after piece into our mouths. The Man Bird had a Yorkshire Pudding on his plate, but passed it over to me as he wasn’t ‘feeling it’ fine by me!
At The Horseshoes, the Roasties are a very generous size and Chef gives them a good charring on the hot-plate to really crisp those outers up and add a hint of smoke – delicious! Perfectly smooth Mash had been expertly seasoned so as to impart another layer of flavour to the meal, and all the vegetables (which came in a separate bowl) had been cooked to keep their natural crunchiness intact. Throwing in a curve-ball was the roughly mashed Cauliflower and Broccoli mix, lovingly cocooned in a punchy Cheese sauce; this was a bit different to the ‘normal’ Cauli Cheese, one that we all thought was great.
None of us had got room for pudding; though we did have black coffees all round to conclude our experience at The Horseshoes on Long Lane. The robust beans certainly cleansed our palates and gave us a bit of a gee-up: no chance of falling into a food coma once this madam had kicked in to the bloodstream!
Hot Wings very happily awarded here again...and nice to see that the high standards have been maintained in the *ahem* 8 years since we were last there! The Horseshoes is open 7-days-a-week: Mon+Tues 4-11pm, Weds-Fri Noon-11pm, Sat Noon-Midnight, and Sunday Noon-11pm. To book a table either ring 01332 824625, or visit the website www.horseshoeslonglane.co.uk and hit the ‘book now’ button.
