The Man, Mummy Bird and I have been to Fairways restaurant at Chevin Golf Club before, but it’s been about a year (maybe more) since we had a Sunday roast there – time that situation was rectified, we thought!
Usually, on a fine day, there would be plenty of keen golfers out on the course but, thanks to the recent snow, ensuing rain and hastened thaw, there was water lying on the green so the decision had been made to shut the course. As we looked out over the finely manicured grass, there wasn’t a single soul to be seen!
Hollie and the Chevin team weren’t letting a piffly little thing like horrible weather dampen their [or anyone else’s] spirit, going to town with the festive decorations. A gorgeous tree, tastefully decked out in tones of gold and cream, brightened up the bar/reception area, and in the conservatory, there were sprigs of Eucalyptus and paper snowflakes suspended from the ceiling to admire. Around the periphery of the space were small, posy-type arrangements in complimenting shades of purple and lilac; they were ‘just enough’ for the conservatory, and garlands over the doors added a subtle feature to catch the eye when a room was entered.
Mummy and I had glasses of wine (Pinot for her, Merlot for me) and His Nibs had a pint of Prahva, which we sipped at whilst looking at the Sunday menu. We know that Chef Tom doesn’t skimp on his portions (and that he’s a bit of a whizz when it comes to dessert), so we skipped the [undeniably] tempting starters and went straight to the mains, which offers traditional roast meats as well as other choices. I opted for the slow-braised Minted Derbyshire Lamb Shank (£18.95), Mummy went for the slow-roasted, glazed Gammon (£16.95), and The Man had the Trio of Meats (he chose overnight roasted Beef Sirloin, Pork Loin, and Gammon, £19.95).
Being the spudaholic that he is, His Nibs also ordered a side of Mashed Potato (£2.50), but all the roasts come with fluffy Garlic and Rosemary Roasties, Caramelised Onion Stuffing, Maple and Thyme-roasted Carrots and Parsnips, and a Yorkshire Pud filled with slow-braised Beef Brisket and Red Wine Gravy. Additionally, each table is served with dishes of Gratinated Cauliflower Cheese, Creamy Parmesan Leeks, and Mange Tout and Green Beans with Almonds. Sounds like a lot? Trust me, it was!!
Before we were served our mains, though, our server (the lovely Josh) brought out freshly baked Sundried Tomato Focaccia with Butter, and Balsamic-n- Olive Oil to dip in. Another member of the team brought out some chilled water and glasses at the same time, without us needing to ask for it – this team know their stuff. The warm bread had us all oohing and aahing and was the perfect amount to quell those initial hunger pangs without spoiling the appetite.
As with all the food at Fairways, Tom cooks to order, so there was a small wait for the roasts; but, as I always say, if it’s fresh and hot, we don’t mind waiting. I’ve eaten some big roasts in my time, but I have to say that the plates were already laden…and that was without the bowls of vegetables that we helped ourselves from!
I wasted no time at all in getting stuck in to my Lamb Shank and, oh my days, this was ridiculously tender; the bones were falling away from each other, never mind the meat! This had been a jolly happy Lamb out in the field and the flavour was second-to-none: sweet, earthy, gamey notes washed over my palate and I smiled in contentment. Mummy Birds’ Gammon had been sliced and each bit was super juicy and tender in the mouth, with a depth of flavour that impressed greatly. The Man was the one who’d really lucked-out though: he’d got a trio of tasty morsels to savour – something he did whole-heartedly! His Nibs was more than happy, too, with the quality of his mashed potato and smacked his lips in appreciation of the glass-smooth, beautifully seasoned spud.
Stalks of Tenderstem Broccoli were perfectly firm to the bite, peeping shyly out from under our slices of meat. The Carrots and Parsnips were proudly on display and they tasted amazing; their own natural sweetness had been zhuzhed up with sweet, fragrant Maple syrup and Thyme. I liked the fact that the Roasties were in their own separate pot on the plate; it might only be a small detail, but keeping the gravy away from them made all the difference to me.
Now, those of you who are super-fans of the Yorkie will know exactly where I’m coming from when I say this: there was nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with Chefs offerings, but I would’ve liked them to be a bit crispier and golden on their outers. Saying that, the flavour of the batter was gorgeous, and the bottoms weren’t soggy, even with the beyond-tender, juicy Brisket shreds that filled the body of the pud. Oh, and that Red Wine Gravy: beyond delicious.
The Gratinated Cauliflower Cheese did indeed have a nice crispy crust to it, with a mesmerising, unctuous sauce coating the pleasantly firm Cauliflower. As a little bonus, after a few seconds the sauce revealed a whisper of mustard-heat in the mouth – glorious. Equally marvellous were the sliced Leeks in their punchy, Parmesan-laced white sauce; we all said that we could eat these with chunks of bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper! Crunchy Mange Tout and Fine Green Beans were light and crisp in the mouth with that alluring grassy, bright taste, complimented by the sweet nuttiness of flaked Almonds – nom nom nom.
When Izzy came to check we were enjoying our food she couldn’t help but giggle with happiness at the effusiveness of our praise, and her and Josh smiled even more broadly when they had the easy task of carrying empty plates and dishes back to the kitchen. Our forward planning paid off: despite being full from our mains, we still had that ‘magic’ space for pudding: cue me ordering Peach Crumble with Crème Anglaise, Mummy opting for Sticky Toffee Pudding and The Man choosing [Semifreddo] Salted Caramel Mousse, all £6.95.
Fresh napkins and cutlery were placed before us, in readiness for our sweet treats, and it wasn’t long before they were arriving. My crumble was served in an individual bowl and I knew before I even bit into it that I was going to be smitten – the aromas carried on the steam fronds were making me salivate in anticipation! The topping was perfectly crunchy and buttery, and the Peach chunks were fragrant and softened but not soggy. A moreish, silky soft Crème Anglaise really was all that this minx needed: bravo, Tom, another exquisitely executed pudding.
I had fully expected The Man Bird to call dibs on the Sticky Toffee Pudding, but Mummy beat him to the punch! Being first out of the [gastro] blocks paid the dividend though, because this marvellously dense (but not clarty) delight was bursting with rich Toffee taste and oozing with Caramel sauce. Cool Vanilla-bean Ice Cream was slowly melting with the heat emanating from the pudding, trickling attractively into the bowl, and the combination of flavours provided the perfect end to Mummy Birds’ meal.
Serving the Salted Caramel Mousse semifreddo gave a bit more oomph to this dessert, and it held its shape as His Nibs cut into it. The base of this treasure was a buttery, biscuit concoction whose mellow taste complimented the gentle Vanilla mousse ‘body’ wonderfully – and the ratio was spot-on. Against the pale mousse, the golden Caramel sauce looked stunning and, as a final flourish, the dark shards of Chocolate provided a visual ‘pop’. This was a prime example of something tasting as good as it looked.
We skipped coffees as our tummies really hadn’t got room for anything else, be it liquid or solid! Hot Wings more than happily given again to Fairways at Chevin Golf Club in Duffield: Chef Tom, Hollie and the team really do give it their all to ensure guests have the best experience with them. You don’t have to be a member of the golf club to dine at Fairways, so get on the blower and ring 01332 841864 to book a table now…you can thank me later. Fairways is open 7 days a week: Mon 10.30am-6pm, Tues-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 8am-8pm, and Sun 8am-6pm.
You can visit the website www.chevingolf.co.uk to view all the current menus.
