Out For Dinner At The Machine Inn, Ashbourne
Published On Sunday 24 Aug 2025 by Sticky Beak
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If you’re a foodie in the ‘Shire, you’ll have heard the name Danny Box; and if you haven’t, where the heck you been?!! This very talented Chef has formerly been in kitchens at The Cavendish Hotel, The Fox and Goose, Callow Hall, The Chesterfield Hotel and The Merchant’s Yard, before taking over the helm at The Machine Inn at Ashbourne – which is where The Man and I were headed to sample the food. In less than a year, Danny has taken his enthusiastic team to 2AA-Rosette standard, so we were really excited to see the results.
The Machine Inn is centrally located in the town, meaning no on-site parking, but there is a decent-sized car park about 5 minutes’ walk away, so that’s where we left the jalopy. Never have I been so relieved to walk into an air-conditioned venue – 32C (for me) is not the one! You’d be forgiven for thinking that this quirky building had some sort of industrial heritage, given the ‘Singer’ sewing machine, prints of Corsetry and jars of buttons that formed part of the interior styling but, no; in fact, The Machine Inn was formerly a bank: its vault is now a tucked away dining area for 4-6 people.
As you walk in, you can’t help but be entranced by the huge bar and its extensive offerings of wines, lagers, spirits and cocktails – one of which, the Hugo Spritz, I was soon to be sipping at. His Nibs decided to try a pint of Hawkstone lager, and our lovely server, Chloe, also got us sorted with some table water as soon as she’d settled us in. We were seated in a position that allowed us a view of the open kitchen and it was then that I realised there wasn’t as much seating as I’d initially thought: The Machine Inn has 35 covers, which makes it pretty bijoux in comparison to other restaurants.
Décor-wise, there’s lots of visual interest: herringbone-pattern paper (which ties-in with the flooring) or wood panels on the upper halves of the walls, and a soothing, cool-toned blue/green/grey shade of paint on the lower half. Lighting comes via some classic globe side-lights and snazzy modern pendants more centrally, combining to provide a cosy amber glow throughout.
To start, I ordered BBQ Mackerel with Cucumber Chutney, Jalapeno Mayonnaise, Horseradish, and Apple and Grape Salsa (£12), and His Nibs went for Smoked Ham, Wholegrain Mustard and Parsley Terrine with Brioche, Piccalilli Puree, Confit Egg Yolk and Crackling (£11). Whilst we were waiting for these to arrive, Hannah (who had extended the invitation to come over to us) took the opportunity to introduce herself and chat before she left for the evening. One of the very best things about the blog is meeting new people, so it was a real joy to meet her.
Both starters were beautifully presented and pleasingly generous in size. My Mackerel fillet was super-fresh and a lovely note of smoke complemented its oily flesh perfectly. Brightening the tone were the Cucumber Chutney and the crisp Grape and Apple salad, both providing some delicious texture, too. Nudging at the periphery was a quietly insistent warmth from the tag-team that was the Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Horseradish and, daft as it may sound, it was these that wove the various components together, whether sweet or savoury.
In The Man’s opinion, you just can’t beat a proper, chunky Terrine and this one was certainly giving him the feels! A marvellously deep, meaty flavour cosseted his palate, ably assisted by a gloriously jammy, creamy, confit’d egg yolk, and contrasted by the zing of puréed Piccalilli. Impossibly thin crackling made its way over to me; well, half of it did, The Man decided to keep some for himself #rude! Usually, Terrine is served with some sort of artisanal bread or cracker, but Danny opted to present it with Brioche a la fried bread, and it was a heavenly combination, not only in terms of flavour but also for the crunch it brought.
Our main course choices were Roasted Creedy Carver Duck Breast with Confit Leg Tartlet, Pak Choi, Hazelnut and Fennel Seed Dukkah, Apricot Ketchup, and Green Peppercorn (£29.95, me), and Tandoori Spiced Cod with ‘Bombay’ Hash Brown, Tiger Prawns, Spiced Mango Relish, Coconut, and Makhani Sauce (£25.95, The Man). To go with our meals, we also ordered a Mini Caesar Salad (£5.95) and Tenderstem Broccoli with Black Garlic, Sesame, and Crispy Garlic (£5.95).
I kid you not when I say that The Mans’ Cod had been cooked to millisecond perfection! The merest flirtation of pearlescence caught the eye when His Nibs cut into the sizeable, gently firm loin, and the flesh was whisper soft in the mouth. Chef had pitched the spices in the Makhani sauce beautifully to balance the Cod’s, and Tiger Prawns’ sweetness. The Man was bewitched by the magical pairing of the Spiced Mango Relish and the Sweetcorn kernels that formed part of the ‘Bombay’ Hash Brown. Mirroring the texture of the crispy outer of the Hash Brown were shavings of Coconut, and he said that, in all honesty, his poor senses didn‘t know which way to turn as there were that many elements to savour! Quite the compliment I’d say, wouldn’t you, Chef?
As soon as Chloe had popped my plate before me, she said that Chef had discarded that day’s delivery of Pak Choi as he wasn’t happy with the quality of it, so there was Baby Spinach in its place in my dish. It always gladdens my heart to hear things like this; Chefs should be confident (and discerning) enough to swap out any elements that they’re not 100% satisfied with. Chef Box had done exactly this, in order to provide his diners with the [2AA Rosette quality] dishes they have to come for, and my palate was very appreciative of his attention to detail on this evening.
The first part of the meal I tried was the dinky Tartlet of Confit Duck Leg and, crikey, it was superb. I was bowled over by the sublime balance of the tender, rich, gamey meat as it pinged against the fine crumb of the sweeter Dukkah, and the impossibly thin pastry case was exquisite. The softened Apricot fruit half was already delicious, but made even more so for being paired with its complementary Ketchup that had more intensity. Next to receive my attention was the skin-on breast that had been cut in two to reveal its tantalising, blush pink centre. I hardly expended any effort at all in chewing the flesh, and waves of earthy sweetness washed over my tongue. Green Peppercorns are fruitier and less aggressive in the heat they release (which is sometimes said to be sweeter, like Chilli, than harsh); pairing them with Duck was a jolly clever move by Chef Danny Box. This milder peppercorn respected the other delicate profiles in the dish; Black Peppercorns, had they been used, would’ve pulled a proper bull-in-a-china-shop number on everything.
There was a time when His Maj would’ve flatly refused to eat Tenderstem Broccoli, but given just how tasty this side dish was, I bet his palate was thanking its lucky stars that he’d done a full 180 turnabout! Beautifully al dente, the Broccoli’s grassy note was paired with Sesame’s nuttiness and the complexity of Black Garlic, resulting in a delightful dish that only got better with added texture from golden, crispy Garlic shards.
Caesar salads often get over-looked, regarded as a bit boring by many; for me, however, there’s something rather brilliant about ‘ordinary’ single elements and their collective transformation into a multi-layered taste sensation. It all comes down (as is so often the case) to the quality of its ingredients: freshness is absolutely key. Torn, crunchy Romaine Lettuce stood centre-stage, accompanied by pungent Parmesan shavings, salty Anchovy fillets, and crunchy Croutons. What grabbed me, though, was the amount of pale dressing that purred like a liquid cat in the lap of all the salad-y scrumminess – it was the proverbial Goldilocks amount i.e. perfect. This was an utterly fantastic little side salad, and I congratulated myself on picking it.
It was patently clear that Danny is a master of his [savoury] craft, but the question was whether he could deliver on the dessert front, too? Yes; yes, he could! I had opted for the Black Forest Choux Bun (£10) for pudding, with The Man selecting White Chocolate and English Strawberry Cheesecake (£9).
Within the crackle-topped Choux Bun (that wasn’t at all tough or card-boardy) was a captivatingly rich Cremeux whose velvety texture lingered on my tongue and clung to the sides of my cheeks. At its polar-opposite was a brilliantly face-scrunching Sour Cherry Compote that insouciantly careered over my palate, leaving an ecstatically charming chaos in its wake. Cool, Cherry Ice Cream was also nestled within the warm Choux bun, though thankfully it was subtler than the Compote – I don’t think I could’ve coped with more joy! Danny had other ideas though, and I was about to be tipped over the edge…
The final element of my dessert was an Amaretto Chocolate Sauce that came, unassumingly, in a separate little white jug. Having had both Amaretto and Chocolate before, I felt fairly safe; huge mistake! Goddamn, this sauce should come with a health warning: highly addictive; if this warm minx was on the drinks menu as a shot, I’d be ordering one every minute – it really was that good.
Chloe had checked back at every course, keen to ensure that we were having a marvellous time; we were, of that there was no doubt. If ever there was a time to call the DeLorean in, this was it; both of us said that we could repeat this experience time and time again. Hot Wings unreservedly awarded to this incredible Ashbourne venue! To book a table which, given there’s only 35 seats, I would strongly advise you to do, call 01335 682380 or visit www.machineinn.com and hit the ‘book a table’ button; if you fancy chilling your bones in one of the 4 rooms upstairs, then hit that ‘stay’ button.
The Machine Inn is closed Monday and Tuesday (genius needs its rest, y’know!), opens Weds and Thursday Noon-10pm, Fri and Sat Noon-Midnight, and Sunday Noon-8pm. Food service times are slightly different than the bar; last food order taken at 8.15pm Weds and Thurs, at 8.45pm on Friday and Saturday, and at 5.45pm on Sunday.
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