Our First Look at the Recently Opened Hide at Chatsworth
Published On Sunday 16 Nov 2025 by Sticky Beak
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On the evening that The Man and I flew to Jordan, there was something equally exciting unfolding in Eastmoor, Chesterfield; the preview event for ‘The Hide’. Lots of you may have journeyed past this in its previous incarnation: a Premier Inn and The Highwayman Beefeater, but you wouldn’t recognise it now thanks to all the effort to breathe new life into the venue. As soon as we were able to, post-holiday, we drove over to see for ourselves what the buzz was.
Now, this site is in the heart of the Chatsworth Escapes dining and accommodation family, though you wouldn’t necessarily think so upon first inspection. The accommodation, for example, has self-check-in screens rather than in-person reception; don’t panic though, if you’re not au fait with ‘tech’: the telephone at the side calls a member of the team, who will swiftly come over to you and guide you through the process. Outside, there are racks for your cycles, as well as a dog-wash station for muddy pooches, and an inside boot store for those hard-working hiking boots. On the topic of walks, The Hide team have produced a glossy booklet of local walks (varying distances and terrain difficulties) that also has a QR code on the bottom of each page that, if you scan it, produces drone footage to keep you on the right path (no pun intended).
Already popular, there were only two vacant rooms at The Hide – both of which Jon (now The Hide’s Manager, formerly the Manager at The Beeley Inn) kindly showed us. The first room was the ‘Family Bunk’ room, so-called because of the splendid bunk beds for children that sit opposite the roomy ‘adult’ double bed. All the amenities you’d want are on-hand: hostess tray, roomy bathroom with toiletries, and plenty of hanging space for garments. Our second room peek was of the ‘Triple’ room that’s kitted out with a roomy double bed and a single bed, again with all the creature comforts you expect. Dogs are permitted in all the ‘spacious’ rooms – which means all of them except the doubles; one tip: bring your fur-babies bed from home as these are not provided. I loved the wool carpets and curtains (which are throughout The Hide), and the khaki and aubergine checked throws caught my eye; I clearly have good taste, as these were Lady Burlington’s own (before Jon snagged them!).
So, having worked up an appetite being outdoorsy, or just fancying some smokehouse dishes, head in to the 146-cover restaurant. Again, this has veered away from the conventional Chatsworth route by operating on a ‘walk-in’ basis rather than taking reservations. The space flows beautifully, and I like how each ‘area’ has its own gentle personality. Whilst dogs are allowed throughout, there are a couple of ‘adult’ sections (the bar and the paper room), with a family section at the other end that has books and games available to encourage quality time and togetherness for families with children.
Estate Escapes’ Executive Chef, Adam Harper, has steered The Hide’s food offering in a Smoke House direction, also incorporating Rotisserie style dishes. Apparently, the smoker is incredible, but we didn’t get to see it…we did devour the delicious morsels it produces though. Jon, and our server Autumn, both commented that the Sunday Roasts are divine, too; especially the sharer boards (humungous, apparently!), laden with all sorts of scrumminess and Chatsworth Estate meats.
Having got us sorted with table water and a bottle of Malbec, Autumn left us to peruse the extensive menu. My initial thought was to forego a starter as I had decided to go for the Rib Combo (£28.99) for main and it sounded pretty sizeable with a trio of Rib types. Had His Nibs not stuck his beak in, my [admittedly weak] will-power may have won out, but when he announced that he was having the Smoky Bacon Bits with Crispy Belly Pork and Whiskey BBQ Sauce (£7.50) to start, I pouted and caved! To kick my meal off, I chose Frickles with Carolina Sauce (£7.50); don’t come for me, Gherkin haters, I just love ‘em. I never liked Gherkins when I was younger but I have come around to their charms and now won’t hear a word against them, ok?
The Frickles were marvellous; halved lengthways and coated in an impossibly light, crisp batter, these were a superb combination of crunchy and soft textures in the mouth. Piquant Carolina sauce echoed the sour tang of the Gherkins and, combined with the richness of the batter, this was a well-rounded starter. At my side, The Man was tucking into the lengthy piece of creamy tasting Belly Pork that was amply topped with crunchy, charred cubes of Bacon that were a more robust, complementary version of their cousin. On the palate, a subtle Whiskey note lazed around, providing companionship to the smoky, treacly BBQ sauce. Autumn had kept a discreet eye on our progress and was happy to clear away a pair of clean plates when she spotted us putting our cutlery down.
As you’d expect with sauce-laden, smokehouse dishes, the napkins were getting put to good use, so it was a relief to discover that they were sturdy, close-weave paper ones that didn’t disintegrate after one wipe of the mouth and/or hands!
Clapping eyes on my Rib Combo platter, I knew we’d gone waaaaay beyond stretchy trouser territory and were firmly ensconced in ‘pass the kaftan’ country! Jeez, Louise, there’s huge and then there’s platters that are worthy of their own postcode; given the size of the ‘half rack’ of Pork Ribs, I’d be gob-smacked at a full one! You all know me, though: shoulders back, chest up, and let’s get cracking.
The Chilli and Honey-glazed Spare Ribs were deliciously fiery without being lip-tingling, and there was plenty of meat on each one. A gorgeously smoky BBQ glaze coated the half rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs, and this sticky minx paired superbly with the tender meat. Again, the [supposed] half portion of BBQ Beef Ribs was more than generous and, for me, these were the stand-out stars of this combo platter. The meat couldn’t have been tenderer if it’d gone ten rounds with Tyson and been pulverised to within an inch of its life – the fibres literally melted in my mouth - and, paired with that exquisitely moreish Whiskey BBQ Glaze, this made for a very memorable morsel.
All the BBQ Rib Plates and Smoked-and-BBQ Finished dishes come with skin-on Fries, house Pickles, and a choice of side (which you can upgrade to a premium side for £1 extra). Now, admittedly, it isn’t often that my wisdom shows itself but, on this occasion, I had had the foresight to ask if the Fries could be swapped out for a bit of Salad – this was a totally genius move, it turned out. Chopped Romaine, halved Cherry Tomatoes, diced Cucumber, and thinly sliced Red Onion were all cool and crisp, providing something a bit lighter on the palate. The Carbs came in the guise of a rather fine Mac-n-Cheese (the premium side I had opted for) which was tasty comfort food at its zenith.
Both of us commented on how refreshing the house pickles were; a nice medley of Cucumber, Red Chilli, Onion, and Cabbage, this simple accompaniment was packed full of taste and texture and was clean and bright in the mouth. Sometimes, it’s a crisp element that makes all the difference to sauce-laden meals, and with smoked meats there are enough deep flavours on the palate, so the bouncy pickles were much appreciated.
His Nibs had gone for the Brisket Plate (£22.99) as his main course, a mouth-watering dish of 18-hour smoked Beef Brisket with Carolina Sauce and irresistibly intense-tasting Burnt Ends. I could tell by the contented sigh that escaped The Man’s lips that the Brisket was hitting the sweet spot and it was clear from the tell-tale pink ‘smoke ring’ that no corners had been cut in the production of this juicy, tender delight. Unlike me, Mr Salad-dodger extraordinaire had opted to have the skin-on Fries and they were deemed to be wonderful; crisp outers and soft inners with a sweet nutty-but-earthy flavour.
For his premium side, His Nibs had ordered Cornbread with Maple Syrup and this was also the ‘real deal’. I have eaten many a portion of Corn Bread in Texas and other southern states in America, so I know my way around it; when The Man passed me a slice, I was instantly taken back to childhood times where I scoffed [probably] my own weight in this Yankee meal-time staple! The gently gritty texture was enough to entice the senses, and the cornmeal had been enriched with egg and buttermilk to make it indulgently rich. Maple Syrup added to the sweet edge of this ‘bread’ without being cloying, and the cornbread hadn’t been drenched in it either, so it wasn’t soggy.
Autumn couldn’t suppress a smile whenever she passed by our table; the mutters of “I’m going to pop any second!” and the obvious beads of ‘meat sweats’ on our brows were clear for all to see. Not that that prevented her from tempting us with the marvellous selection of desserts that The Hide offer and, in fairness, we don’t take much persuading!
I chose Ginger Parkin with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (£6.99) to conclude my meal; His Nibs went with Vanilla New York Cheesecake with Fresh Mango and Passionfruit Sorbet (£6.50). Thankfully, the portions of the desserts are a little more restrained…though not by much in all honesty.
Chef doesn’t muck about with the Ginger Parkin; chunky in texture, and with a pleasant Gingery warmth to its taste, this is an honest sort of pud, and a jolly yummy one at that. Served warm, the Parkin provided the perfect environment for the good quality Vanilla Ice Cream to begin a languid melt, forming cool, creamy swirls in the bowl. The Toffee sauce was gloriously sticky and rich, its depth of flavour matching that of the Parkin flawlessly.
The Man Bird was pleased to discover that the base of his Cheesecake had that texture that renders it easy to cut into without it disintegrating into a thousand crumbs, and it was beautifully buttery on the tongue. Mellowly creamy, the Cheesecake body had a dense velvetiness that has you quietly weeping with joy, and then bringing you around from your food-swoon is a Passionfruit Sorbet that has a deceptive ardency to it. The fresh Mango was puréed, anchoring the Sorbet to the plate, and its bold, fragrant flavour provided a smooth ‘bridge’ between the other elements. As with my dessert, not a smidge went uneaten on The Mans’ plate.
Whilst the dishes at The Hide may not be slick ‘haute cuisine’, they certainly bear all the quality hallmarks of food served within the Chatsworth Escapes brand. The presentation and service both bore the hallmarks of Chatsworth i.e. they were stealthily, self-assuredly good; when you know you’re ‘that’ good, there’s no need to fuss and holler, is there?
In short, if yomping across our majestic hills with your fur- and/or non-fur babies, staying in superb comfort and enjoying seriously tasty food is your bag, then The Hide at Chatsworth is your new go-to destination. I can’t think of a nicer place to turn your ‘day into a stay’ – Hot Wings very happily given here. There’s no booking a table within the restaurant itself, so to book a room at The Hide call 01756 718111 or visit www.thehide.co.uk, and hit the ‘book now’ button in the right-hand corner.
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