Sunday Roasts and Country Charm at The Red Lion, Birchover
Published On Thursday 18 Sep 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Finally, the rain came! Like most things, this was a double-edged sword: on the one hand, the gardens certainly needed the water; on the other, it was impeding mine and The Man’s efforts to prune Mummy Birds’ hedges and shrubs. Saturday was a write-off, but we cracked on on the Sunday, knowing that our reward would be a slap-up roast dinner at the Red Lion Inn at Birchover. Before we got to Birchover, though, we had a small errand to run in Clay Cross, so we ended up going the back way, over the moors, to Birchover. The weather gods were shining and we were treated to the most magnificent view (literally for miles) across the county – Mummy Bird was in her element, reminiscing about when she was a young chick out rambling with her family.
It’s been a while since we last visited this venue; back then, the Sunday Roasts were served carvery style, now they are plated and served to you at the table. The food delivery may have changed but the Inn’s owners, Matteo and Alyson Frau have not! Still as welcoming and young-looking as ever, this couple are as passionate as ever to provide their customers with proper home-cooked food – even littlies, who have their own menu.
Our lovely server got us seated and took our drinks order: large Pinot Grigio for Mummy (£6.60), large Malbec for me (£6.70), and a pint of Madri for The Man (£5.80). If real ales float your boat, then you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven; Matteo established Birchover Brewery on-site and creates his own ales. As well as the regular menu, Matteo and Alyson also have a great range of specials on, and Mummy chose the Fish and Chips (£16.50) from it. The Man and I opted for the -meat Sunday Roast, both paying the extra £2 for the Lamb and having Beef with it; there’s also Pork or Seitan (for Vegan diners) as meat choices.
Whilst we waited for our meals, we all looked around and admired the inherent beauty of this imposing stone building. Thick walls, wooden ceiling beams and country nick-nacks all add up to create a cosy atmosphere and make you feel right at home – so much so that we spent nearly 2 hours here…and the service certainly wasn’t slow! Dogs are allowed in the tap room and outside seating areas, but it’s best to ring ahead and let the team know if you’re bringing a furry family member as seating is limited and is always popular.
Matteo works from a small kitchen and cooks fresh-to-order, so please be patient at peak times; he puts his Sardinian heart and soul into everything, and the wait is worth it. The Horseradish and Mint Sauces were presented in separate pots shortly before our laden plates were set in front of us…and all I can say is that it’s a jolly good job that we’d worked up such keen appetites! His Nibs and I had a pair of large slices of both meats, and they were marvellously juicy, tender and flavoursome. On the plate with the meats were a large Yorkshire Pud, Roasties, Parsnip, Carrot, fragrant Stuffing ball, and lots of pan-gravy. Alyson brought out a jug of extra gravy and a large bowl with buttered Greens, Braised Red Cabbage, and New Potatoes in.
You can’t beat a homemade Yorkie Pud and Matteo does a belter; thin, crisp outers and soft inners with a rich, creamy batter taste that takes you right back to childhood comforts. The Red Cabbage was dreamy, gorgeously soft with a good splosh of Spices and Orange lifting things beautifully on the palate. In contrast, the buttered mixed Greens (sliced Leeks, Peas, and Savoy Cabbage) were crunchy and clean tasting, wonderfully bright in the mouth. A generous scattering of sea salt flakes and herbs on the nutty-tasting New Potatoes gave the spuds a little more elegance and appeal; a nice touch, Chef.
Across the table, Mummy was tucking into her Fish and Chips, clearly relishing the job as well! As far as pieces of fish go, this was sizeable by anyone’s standard – maybe re-name it ‘Whale and Chips’?! The batter was airily light, eliciting an audible crunch when cut- and bitten- into, and the fillet it surrounded was moreishly soft and fragrant to taste. Plenty of golden, chunky Chips were getting eagerly gobbled up after being dunked in the tangy Tartare sauce, and sweet-tasting Garden Peas added a pop of colour on the plate. Another colourful element on Mummy’s plate was the mound of shredded Red Cabbage; not braised this time, more gently pickled to give a hint of tang to temper the richness of the fish batter.
Having checked back whilst we were tucking in (and been assured that we were very happy with our food), our server returned to clear away our trio of clean plates, the gravy jug, and the bowl that had housed the vegetables. Leaving a little interlude, we were then asked if we’d like to see the dessert menu – you bet we would!
For desserts, it was my turn to select from the specials: the Cheesecake of the Day, a Honeycomb Golden Nugget variety (£6.50) had got my name all over it. His Nibs went off-piste, choosing Trillionaire’s Toffee and Chocolate tart with Cream, leaving it to Mummy to order the Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream (both £6.60).
I had a more than generous tringle of pale bodied Cheesecake, and its silky, dense texture twirled over my tongue, lingering a while so that I fully appreciated its charms. Plenty of crunchy nuggets of Honeycomb adorned the top, contrasting against the smoothness of the Cheesecake. Two distinctly different sauces (Toffee and Chocolate) were drizzled in artful ribbons along my serving platter, adding even more indulgence to this delight, and a tiny sprig of micro-Lemon Balm added the final flourish.
Mummy was cooing in delight at the deep layer of gooey Toffee that sat atop her dark sponge, digging in enthusiastically with her spoon. The sponge itself was thrillingly deep in flavour, with a texture that satisfied yet didn’t lay heavy on the tummy. A scoop of good quality Ice Cream added a temperature contrast to the warm pudding as well as a creamy roundedness. A very satisfied customer…and a podged one!
Just one look at His Nibs’ Trillionaires Tart tole me all I needed to know: the bi-layered, ‘gold’ scattered top was going to be one seriously sexy pud! Yup, I had dessert envy. The Man has never been one for subtlety so, upon seeing my wistful gaze, he hammed it up, oohing-and-aahing with the smallest taste he took. Taking pity on me, he did pass a bit over and, crikey, it was every bit as tantalising as I’d imagined. Be still my beating heart. Not that any accompaniment was needed, but there was a piped swirl of fresh Cream at the side and the duo of sauces to also indulge in.
Having polished off our desserts, we sat there like a trio of porky pigs, feeling more than a little Weeble-esque! If ever you doubted my gluttony, this should clear up any hesitancy you may have; no sooner had my spoon gone down, my thoughts turned to Matteo’s Bircher Blue. Bircher Blue is a subtly veined, creamy Cheese that is stunning; having tried it once, I have long been a fan and was keen to see if there was any available to bring home. As luck would have it, there was (currently not for public sale, Matteo had made some for his own use and gave me a wedge)…and there was also some freshly baked Rye and Spelt Sourdough bread that Matteo had made.
As well as Brewing, Cheffing and Cheese-making, Matteo has added Baker to his repertoire! I’ve never known Sourdough starters to have names, but Matteo has names for his: among the several types, there are Lazarus and Columbo – brilliant names, I reckon. The results are rather fab, I can confirm, having had them at home. A plan in the pipeline is for Matteo to start a Community Oven, allowing villagers to bring along their loaves and bake them together in a communal fashion; I think that’s a marvellous idea, and one that would certainly foster the spirit of inclusivity and neighbourliness.
Hot Wings very happily given to this family-run pub and restaurant! To book a table and/or doggy spot, call 01629 650363. You can also visit www.red-lion-birchover.co.uk to see menu details, book online and see what events are upcoming. The Red Lion Inn is closed Mon-Weds, both as a pub and kitchen, re-opening on Thursday 6pm-10pm, Friday 6pm-11pm, Saturday Noon-11pm and Sunday Noon-9pm. Food service times differ slightly: Thursday and Friday 6pm-7.30pm, Saturday Noon-7.30pm, and Sunday Noon-5.30pm.
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