The Festive Menu That Stole Christmas at The Maynard, Grindleford
Published On Monday 15 Dec 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Wow, wow, wow!! I don’t think I’ve ever come straight home after being out for a meal and felt compelled to write about it but, team Maynard at Grindleford, you have smashed it out of the park with your festive offering!
We never intended to try the festive dishes, it was just ‘another’ Sunday trot out with Mummy Bird for a family roast at a venue she hadn’t been to. By the way, massive thank you’s to each and every one of you who rallied to our call of suggestions for where to go – our followers really are the BEST. Some of the suggestions we had to cut for ease of accessibility etc., so we finally landed on The Maynard, a venue that His Nibs and I are very familiar with, and are fans of.
The first thing that caught Mummy’s eye was the tasteful reception arrangement of Christmas presents, Gonks, and frosted Trees, and of course, who can fail to notice the show-stopper of a garland that encircles the establishment’s logo behind the desk – glorious! A lovely lady escorted us to our corner table and offered table water immediately, and waited whilst we chose our drinks: pint of Madri (£6.65) for The Man, and a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet (£31.95) between Mummy and I.
Both of the usual menu’s were available as well as the festive one but, after clocking the starters, both His Nibs and I had decided that we were going the jolly holly route, so to speak. Mummy was in the market for a traditional Turkey dinner, which she reckons always taste better when you haven’t had to slave over them yourself. Though it was a hard decision, Mummy opted to forego a starter in the hopes that she would have room for a pudding. The festive menu is priced at 2 courses for £31pp, 3 courses for£37pp, with the caveat that you do have to have at least 2 courses; children can savour this menu too, with ½ portions available at ½ price. If they want to stick to ‘regular’ dishes, there is a full Children’s menu available.
To start, I had the Salmon Gravlax with Charred Baby Gem, Horseradish Cream Cheese Mousse, and warm Bread; His Maj had the Duck Rillette, and Beetroot and Fennel Jelly that was served with Toasted Sourdough and Pickled Vegetables. Both dishes were presented stunningly, my own Salmon fashioned into exquisite ‘Roses’, and both the fish and The Mans’ Duck were juicy and bursting with flavour. The scene-stealer, though, was my Horseradish Cream Cheese Mousse – if I could only ever eat one thing for the rest of my days, this would be it!! Executive Chef Gagea, you’re a ruddy genius.
You know when someone starts ‘moon gazing’ at your food and you can tell that they’re sorely regretting not ordering a starter? Yep, that was momma! Good job muggins here is such a soft-touch; taking pity on her (and falling for her seriously puppy-dog eyes!), I passed over some of my Salmon and guilted The Man into parting with some of his Duck. My Nana would be looking down with pride at her daughter – this lady, known as the Duchess in our family, was a consummate professional at cadging all manner of things from us all!
Anyhow, back to the food: for mains, Mummy had the Turkey and trimmings, I plumped for the Braised Pork Ossobuco, and The Man Bird fancied the sound of the slow-cooked Beef Shin. Before long, our server was carefully placing the fully-loaded plates in front of us, bidding us to enjoy; given the sight, I think it safe to say we would. With the photos taken, and me cutting up the Turkey (which was ridiculously soft and tender, by the way) and the Pig-in-Blanket for Mummy, we all enthusiastically dug in.
My Pork Ossobuco was simply phenomenal; marvellously rich with the marrow from the bone that the meat was attached to, the flesh itself needed to pressure at all from my cutlery to come apart and then melt instantly in my mouth. Whisper-fine Parsnip Crisps packed a crunch that belied their fragility and carried the bold perfume of this superb root vegetable. I do love a Risotto, and this one, pimped with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron, was spot-on both in terms of the creamy, al dente Rice and the earthy, floral, honeyed taste of Saffron. Soft, sweet Pumpkin added the perfect injection of comfort, making this a magnificent meal.
Across from me, Mummy Bird was chowing away happily at her early Christmas feast, remarking on how superbly moist the Turkey breast meat was with each bite. Where the poultry was mild and creamy, the Pig-in-Blanket was robust and richer in its taste, and the Sausagemeat and Cranberry stuffing added a complementary layer of flavour. The Brussels Sprouts were still nicely firm to the bite, their quirky, love-it-or-hate-it earthy, nutty taste shining out clearly against the crunchy outer/soft inner, duck fat and herb-zhuzhed roasties. Bringing the festive indulgence were Maple-glazed Carrots and Parsnips that were sweet and caramelised, softened shreds of Red Cabbage, and a quite remarkable Gravy that dazzled the palate.
His Nibs’ slow-cooked Beef Shin was tantalising in its tenderness and sublime in its depth of flavour -there was no shortage of it, either, so if you have a hearty appetite, you’ll be fine with this minx! The Beef and roasted Carrots were sweet and light in the mouth, leaving the serious stuff to the richer Potato Purée and Sautéed Kale. Adding a pop of sharpness and clarity to the dish was the crunchy Pickled Cabbage; this was proof that sometimes less is more: providing a colourful garnish, this was the essence of ‘small but mighty’. Like Mummy’s dish, the gravy was intense and confident, though I’m going to claim the proverbial food crown - my Bone Marrow-pimped one was the king of them all!
When our server returned after clearing our mains away, having given us time to study the pudding selection, Mummy immediately stated that she was having the Christmas Pudding and Brandy Crème Anglaise, before anyone else could call ‘dibs’ on it! I had really wanted the Steamed Ginger Pudding…until I saw the Banoffee Sauce: gip central. I cannot stomach Banana in any guise, and the feeling is mutual! Instead, I chose the Winter Pavlova with winter Berry Compote, Vanilla Chantilly Cream, Orange Sorbet and a decadent Caramel Sauce. Returning to an old favourite, His Nibs had the Dark Chocolate and Passionfruit Mousse, with Strawberry Compote and Vegan Honeycomb Crumb.
Truthfully, I hadn’t been expecting the Meringue to be quite so sizeable, and didn’t manage to finish it all despite giving the majority of the Orange Sorbet to The Man Bird. What I did have was gloriously sweet with crunchy and chewy parts of the Meringue, and a sharp burst from the Berry Compote. I can also confirm that the Caramel sauce was indeed decadent, as was the velvety Chantilly Cream.
An individual fruit-laden Christmas Pud was lazing in a lake of impossibly silky Crème Anglaise that bore a wonderful warmth of Vanilla within it. I think that the humble Christmas Pud is often over-looked in restaurants, and I do get it; all too frequently, they are shoved in a microwave for too long, rendering them tough and chewy. Here at The Maynard, this iconic sweet is treated with the respect it deserves and remained soft and fruity with that texture that seductively clings to your cheeks just long enough to leave you wanting more…and more!
The Man Bird was sighing contentedly as his palate was reunited with the unforgettable taste of intense Cocoa and sprightly Passionfruit. Surprisingly, the fruit doesn’t detract at all from the chocolate notes; rather it seems to enhance them, as does the Strawberry Compote (which contained whole fruits as well a smoother purée). Keen to ensure that this dessert wasn’t a one-dimensional offering, Chef had used pieces of sweet, crunchy Honeycomb for texture as well as visual impact. As with Mummy Bird, His Nibs’ bowl was squeaky clean and our server happily cleared away crockery that was substantially lighter than when she’d brought it out.
From beginning to end, our experience at The Maynard in Grindleford had been nothing short of fantastic; huge thanks to the serving team for giving us another amazing family memory. Executive Chef, Adrian Gagea, your kitchen team did you proud, too! Hot Wings flying their way, Rudolph-like, to this Longbow Bars and Restaurants venue.
The Festive menu won’t be around for long (28th November until 31st December 2025), so grab the opportunity to savour it for yourself pronto! To book a table call 01433 424110 or visit www.the-maynard.com and head to the ‘food’ section; scroll past the menus and gallery sections, then hit the ‘book now’ button to reserve a table. If you fancy (and why wouldn’t you?), why not stay over in one of the stunning rooms at this Boutique Hotel and Restaurant and extend the spoiling/indulgence.
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