Back For Sunday Lunch At The Railway Inn, Shottle
Published On Thursday 22 May 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Sunday = Fun Day = Roast Din-Dins Day. Mummy Bird is ALWAYS up for eating out, and the sun was shining, so we thought let’s have a bit of a run out in the jalopy (but not too far ‘cos the traffic is always bonkers on sunny days!), so we had a tootle out to Shottle and back to The Railway Inn.
As we pulled in to the [pretty full] large car park, it was lovely to see so many folks outside in the beer garden and also on the outside area that has awning over it to provide shade. Lots of dogs were lazing under tables, both inside and outside, and the giggles of children could be heard too; does it get any better than happy days like these? I don’t think so. Dogs are also welcome in the bar area with their [well behaved] dining humans.
Walking inside, we got a marvellous welcome from the hostess and her colleagues that were walking past as we made our way to our table on the raised level. Mummy ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio, His Nibs had a pint of Poretti and I ordered a bottle of sparkling water, complete with ice and Lemon slice – thank you for asking, Oliver.
You don’t have to have the Sunday Roast, either; your server will give you this menu and the regular one; nice to have all options open to you. Mummy was originally going to just have one course and go for Roast Beef, but that plan soon went out of the window when she clapped eyes on the Steak and Ale Pie (and the dessert choices!). The Man and I stayed on course though, and I opted for the Roast Leg of Lamb, and Him Indoors chose the Roast Honey Mustard Gammon. Tempting though the starters were, we do tend to save ourselves for pud, and that’s exactly what we did.
All the Sunday Lunch mains come with Mashed Potato, Roasties, Red Cabbage, and Yorkshire Pudding on the plate, and are accompanied by bowls of Roasted Root Vegetables, Buttered Greens, and Cauliflower Cheese. You also get extra gravy in a decent sized boat/jug, and your server asks if you need any extra sauces: I requested Mint Sauce, and it came in a dinky pot separately. Gareth and his team use locally sourced produce where possible and change menus to reflect what’s at its peak; no doubting that they take pride and care in delivering delicious food and drink.
We knew that we were going to be treat to a good feast; the plates of food going out to adjacent tables were certainly sizeable! A short while later, the lovely Oliver (everybody needs this young man in their lives, he’s so polite and friendly - a real treasure) and his colleague were placing our dishes before us, as well as the multitude of sides. After taking the obligatory food photos - honestly, our phones are just full of [so-called] food porn! – we all began to tuck in.
Mummy cut open her pie’s pastry and plumes of steam arose, releasing all those gorgeous meaty aromas. Chef couldn’t have stuffed any more pieces of Beef steak into the pie if he’d tried – it was crammed! Combined with its thick, ale-pimped gravy, the beef made for a very tasty morsel: a super-tender one at that. Mine and The Man Birds’ meats were just as flavoursome and soft to the bite as well, and gorgeously juicy. I’d got a pair of large slices of Lamb to savour, and His Nibs had the same…as well as a smaller piece of Gammon that was hiding under the other slices.
The mash was impossibly smooth and silkily buttery in the mouth, with a nice amount of seasoning to it. Those of you who are partial to Roasties will appreciate it when I say that the spuds had been pan-finished to make them really crispy on the outside and to impart a darker tone to them. This little bit of extra effort from Chef is well worth it for the diners, though, and our palates revelled in the fluffy, nutty-tasting inners and the contrasting, almost charred, taste of the outers. Shredded Red Cabbage was beautifully sweet in the mouth, complemented by its glossed-with-butter, still gently crunchy cousin, Savoy Cabbage. Chunks of Swede were mixed with baby Carrots, and both were marvellously sweet from their natural sugars being intensified during roasting in the oven.
His Nibs admitted defeat and left his Yorkshire Pud, but Mummy and I just couldn’t leave this massive marvel on our plates, so we tore bits of the golden, crisped outer off and munched away happily. I even went so far as to dunk my bits in the extra gravy! Between the three of us, there wasn’t an awful lot going back to the kitchen, much to the delight of Oliver. A two course Sunday lunch costs £23 per person, but for an extra fiver you get either a starter or dessert, so it would’ve been rude not to have a sweet treat, no? (A single course is available for £17)
If memory serves correct (which, thanks to hormones, it may not do!), I had the Lemon Crème Brulée at The Railway Inn last time we came, so I decided not to have that this time. Talk about jump in your grave – as soon as I’d voiced this, His Nibs said “right, that’s me sorted then”; good job I wasn’t going to change my mind! Mummy fancied the sound of the Passionfruit and White Chocolate Cheesecake, and I couldn’t think of anything better on a hot day than some cool, creamy Ice Cream – you get 3 scoops of your choice from a wide selection of Sorbets and Ice Creams. It took me a while to whittle down to a trio of final flavours, but I went for Honey and Stem Ginger, Honeycomb, and Salted Caramel.
Soon enough, Oliver was returning with our desserts and took the time to have another little natter with us. All the team members at The Railway Inn at Shottle take time with their guests, and it really makes such a difference to the overall experience you have.
I couldn’t help but giggle as I saw Mummy’s eyes widen at the sheer size of her Cheesecake; no word of a lie, the body of it was a good 2” deep! Like the game bird she is, Mummy pulled her shoulders back and cut into the buttery biscuit base and creamy body, determined to give it her best shot. Let’s just say that it was Mission Very Much Possible, and the whole lot got demolished – even the scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. Mind you, His Nibs wasn’t far behind! The Crème was dense and velvety, with a gentle citrus whisper to it that paired sublimely with the crunchy Poppy Seeds and buttery Shortbread finger. This dessert also comes with a scoop of Ice Cream: the Honey and Stem Ginger one that I’d chosen, and both of us were instant fans of this minx and its fusion of sweet Honey and warming Ginger pieces.
It may not have been the most rock-n-roll choice of dessert, but a good quality Ice Cream takes some beating and the ones served at The Railway Inn are fabulous. I’m not known for letting food hang around on my plates (whether sweet or savoury), but I took my time with these delights and let their creaminess melt over my tongue. Each type of Ice Cream tasted clearly of what it was described as, rather than being pretty insipid, so my taste buds were dancing in happiness.
I’d spied a range of dog treats at the desk when we’d first arrived, so I sent The Man to grab a Rabbit and a Boar chew for our laddo. At this point Oliver came back and, when we asked for the bill, said that Gareth had very kindly said that it was on him – what a lovely surprise! We were momentarily silent with shock; but a happy, grateful shock. Sometimes, people’s kindness still stuns us.
Anyhow, regardless of whether we paid or that Gareth did, the fact remains that Hot Wings are happily given to this fab Shottle pub again. To book a table call 01773 550726, or visit the website www.therailwayinnshottle.co.uk and hit the ‘book a table’ button.
The Railway Inn Is open Mon-Sat 11am-10pm and Sunday 11am-9pm, with the kitchen times being Mon-Sat Noon-8.30pm and Sunday Noon-6pm.
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