I never mind when a good day gets made even better, and this was most definitely the case last week. Landing in our inbox was a lovely invitation to enjoy the seasonal set menu at The Peacock in Owler Bar; originally this particular offering was ‘just’ for the summer, but its popularity has seen its run extended until the end of November, and we were certainly excited to try it.
The drive over the moors was lovely; the clear weather meant we were literally looking out for miles over the hills, and the bracken, ferns, and heathers had turned into their burnished autumnal colours which made the landscape look even more impressive. We bagged a space in the car park and headed inside, passing the beautiful, well-stocked foliage and flower planters as we did so. One thing to note, and this is very important: remember to enter your vehicle registration number into the touch screen tablet at the bar entrance!
We were greeted very warmly and shown through to our table, and I grabbed the back banquette seat, sinking into its sumptuous cushion; His Nibs had the carved-back, free-standing chair and this was nicely upholstered for comfort, too. Table water was offered straight away and, whilst our server went off to get that, we looked through the [extensive] drinks menu; I opted for a glass of Australian Shiraz, The Man had a pint of Madri.
As far as curated, seasonal menus go, the one at The Peacock offers a great range of choice, testament to the thought that [Longbow Group’s] executive Chef Adrian Gagea and his team have put into it. Price-wise, it offers fantastic value for money: 2 courses for £21.95pp, or 3 courses for £26.95 pp. To start, I ordered the Spiced Lamb Croquette, Pickled Summer Vegetables, and Crème Fraiche; His Nibs went for the Pork and Smoked Paprika Scotch Egg with Fresh Rocket Salad and Herb Mayo. Both dishes were Gluten free, and I feel that it’s worth noting that all of the Longbow venues strive to offer a large proportion of their dishes to those with Gluten intolerance, and also for Vegans.
Whilst we waited for our starters, I sat back and soaked up the elevated cosy country vibe of The Peacock. Low ceiling beams, plentiful greenery in the deep alcove windows and the muted natural colour palate of the walls and soft furnishings all soothe the senses, aided by the warm glow of the lighting throughout the space. Each table had its own small, matte gold lamp for even more intimate cosiness. The Peacock is one of those places that you could easily lose track of time in, which is certainly no bad thing in my mind - its ‘oooh’ factor just cossets you.
Our starters soon arrived and were both presented beautifully, with plenty of visual appeal evident. His Nibs’ Scotch Egg was a really good size, instantly making him smile, and his smile only intensified as he took the first mouthful. Under the superbly crisp, crunchy outer was a thick layer of coarser-than-usual Pork Sausagemeat, and this was zhuzhed with the exotic tang of Smoked Paprika, adding a marvellous depth of flavour to it. This meat layer wasn’t tightly packed either, and this actually allowed more of the taste to flood over the tongue, providing a better sensory experience. At the heart was a perfectly jammy-yolked Egg whose richness and creamy texture was stunning. Peppery Rocket leaves and the Herb Mayo added a wonderful bounce in the mouth, lifting the profile delightfully.
My Spiced Lamb Croquette was served cut on the diagonal, allowing me to fully appreciate its textural, chunky filling. Like The Man’s starter, mine had a fabulously crunchy outer that seemed to intensify the softness of its centre. The sweet, earthy Lamb shreds were impossibly moist and tender and the spices had been skilfully utilised to enhance their character rather than overwhelm it. Sharp, tangy pickles were the perfect balance for the rich Croquette and added a great pop of texture. I loved the tangy Crème Fraiche and how it raised everything a level higher on the palate; this was a delicious starter, make no mistake.
The culinary journey carried on in its positive way with the arrival of our main courses; The Man had chosen the pie-of-the-day (Pork and Cider on this occasion), with Chips rather than the other choice, Mash, Crushed Peas, Sauteed Kale, and ‘proper’ Gravy, and I had ordered the pan-fried Chicken Supreme with New Potato and Spring Onion Ballotine, Warm Summer Salad, and a Roasted Pepper and Tomato sauce.
If ever there was a pie that was fully up to height (as horse folk say), this morsel was it: pastry fully encased the filling, and it was that glorious fat-rich pastry of the ilk that granny used to make – nom nom. The Pork pieces were plentiful and tasty, each one super-tender, and the Cider-pimped sauce’s fruity hint partnered the Pork perfectly. Over the years, His Nibs has [probably] had gallons of gravy but this one made his palate sit up and pay attention: a sultry smokiness glided over his tongue and had a gravity-defying depth of flavour to it. Needless to say, there was much dunking of chips into the jug of this fabulous stuff! Bringing a lighter tone to the dish were the beguilingly sweet crushed Peas, and they really were delicious: proof again that simple things can often be the crux of a dish.
Chicken Supreme is, I think vastly under-rated and, for some reason, tends to get overlooked. Personally, I love the boneless breast and wingette combo, and with the skin being left on it retains all the gorgeous juiciness during cooking. The warm summer salad of Carrot ribbons, Red Onion, and Pak Choi was clean and bright, contrasting starkly with the mysterious Red Pepper and Tomato sauce that was utterly bewitching and intense on the palate.
You can stop at two courses but, for an extra fiver, why would you? I decided to conclude my meal with the Chocolate Brownie, Wild Berry Mousse, Marc de Champagne Sorbet and Fresh Berries, and The Man fancied the [vegan friendly] Dark Chocolate Mousse, Vegan Honeycomb, Dark Cherry Compote, and Fresh Physalis.
As with the previous courses, the presentation was spot-on and, with the photos taken, we eagerly dug in. The Man Birds’ choice was possibly the most luxuriant mousse your imagination could conjure; deeper in flavour than the Mariana Trench, it lingered in the mouth and was paired brilliantly with a plush Dark Cherry Compote and lots of the whole fruits. Instead of chunks of crunchy Honeycomb, Chef had crumbled it to give a subtler (but still noticeable) textural element to this dessert. I was seriously miffed that I’d given first ‘dibs’ to His Maj, missing out on this treasure; my disappointment didn’t last, though – how could it when I had my own magnificent dessert to savour?
Wonderfully dark, cocoa-heavy Brownie had been cut into triangles for presentation and their richness lit up my brains’ pleasure centre like Oxford Streets’ Christmas lights. The gentle crust revealed a pleasingly gooey centre when cut into, at the bottom of which was a scattering of White Chocolate drops. A stunning, marbled Berry Mousse proved to be an able distraction from the Brownie, its zingy taste dancing on my tongue gleefully. The Sorbet was refreshing and light, its coolness standing out proudly, and as if there weren’t already enough stand-out parts of this dessert to swoon over, the jewel-toned Coulis of Fresh Berries brought their energy to the party. This was the dessert of dreams, for sure!
All evening, the serving team had checked back in with us to make sure we were enjoying our meal and ensuring that our glasses never ran dry. Every interaction came with a smile and snippet of conversation, making this a most memorable evening. Yet again, Longbow Venues exceeded expectations; Hot Wings given with no hesitation at all. The Peacock at Owler Bar is open 11am-11pm seven-days-a-week, kitchen times are slightly different: Mon-Sat Noon-9.30pm, and Sunday Noon-8.30pm. To book a table call 0114 3037074 or visit www.peacockowlerbar.com and hit the ‘book a table’ button on the right-hand side of the page.
