When we first visited The Pear Tree Hotel in Ripley, about 16 months ago, they had just started to serve Sunday Roasts. That initial foray was great in itself, but we love it when a venue wants us back to see how they’ve progressed; hence our return visit on this occasion. Even better, this visit was a proper ‘secret squirrel’ number - table booked under a completely different name, money sent over to cover the bill; the whole kit-and-caboodle.
It was a horrible, wet, cold, grey day outside, but this was swiftly forgotten as we were greeted warmly by a member of the team and shown to our table. The inside was clean and tidy, which is always nice to see in a town centre pub. As is typical of this type of ‘boozer’, the big-screen TV was showing the latest sports match, and folks were using the Darts Board and Pool Table. The Pear Tree is child- and dog- friendly, and both were in the premises - and both very well behaved.
Our server quickly got us sorted with drinks (Shiraz for me, Cruz Campo for The Man) and then gave us a few minutes to choose what we fancied to eat, informing us of the [different than printed] starters on offer. The pricing structure of the Sunday Lunch is dead simple: 2 courses for £19.95pp, or all 3 for £24.95pp; we knew we’d definitely manage 2, so to start I went for the Chicken Wings and The Man had the BBQ Pulled Pork and Cheese Bake. For mains there’s a choice of Roast Pork with Crackling, Roast Beef, Chicken Supreme, or Vegetable Pie; I fancied the Pork for a change, so His Maj had the Beef. All the roasts come with Yorkshire Pudding, Stuffing Ball, Roasties, Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and Gravy, and you can add another Yorkie for a quid or, for £3.50 extra each, go for more Mash, Roasties, Veggies, or Cauliflower Cheese. Obviously, we grabbed ourselves a side of Cauli Cheese.
It wasn’t long before our starters were being gently placed in front of us, with a warning to mind the bowls as they were hot. They certainly were, as were their contents! The Man Bird’s choice was a dual-layered sort; the plentiful shreds of juicy Pork were bathed in a thick BBQ sauce and topped with a blanket of gooey, melted Cheese. This was a perfect example of comfort food: hot, plentiful, and delicious; His Nibs was as happy as a pig in whatsit, chowing away contentedly.
My Chicken Wings were more like mini drumsticks in proportion – sizeable they certainly were, all five of them! The abundant meat was juicy and soft in my mouth, coated with a marvellously sticky, smoky sauce that had me licking my lips and fingers for ages afterwards. We both commented on the lovely presentation of both dishes and that they struck the perfect balance of being value for money, without ruining your appetite for the roast lunch.
Having seen that we’d finished (and having done a check-back previously), the young lady came to clear away our starter paraphernalia. About 5-10 minutes later she returned, accompanied by a team member, and served us with heavily laden plates whose contents were releasing steam (and aromas) by the bucket-load. We were asked if we’d like sauces (Apple for me, Horseradish for him), and were offered extra gravy, too, which arrived a minute later. The meal looked fab to us, but our server said she’d go and get us extra veggies; clearly, she thought she was feeding the biblical 5, 000 – I know our gluttony is legendary, but crikey!
His Nibs’ large slice of Beef was spot-on; rose-pink at its heart and beautifully tender to the bite, with a marvellous flavour that had him smiling. My Pork was just as great, and I savoured each succulent morsel of it. Chef had done a trio of crackling slices for me, and the crunch was phenomenal – the lady at the table in front turned round to see what the noise was. Nice job, Chef.
The halved Carrots, Peas and Shredded Mixed Cabbage were all cooked to retain a hint of bite and crunch to them. Truth be told, we didn’t need the extra vegetables, but I still scooped extra Cabbage onto my plate. There was something glorious about the humble Mashed Potato here at The Pear Tree Hotel in Ripley; it was as smooth as glass, but was stiffer and thicker (behave, you rude toads!) than usual…and all the better for it we thought. Being the classy bird that I *ahem* am, I stuck a load of the rich demi-glace meat gravy over the mash and swirled them together – don’t come for me; this is my version of comfort, ok?!
As you know, The Man and I are fully paid-up, card-carrying members of the ‘Cauli Cheese absolutely should be on a Sunday Dinner plate’ camp. We’ve had, over the years, both positive and negative experiences at venues, but we were more than happy on this occasion. The Cauliflower was still nicely firm to the bite (though not hard at all) and the was partnered with a silky, cheese-heavy sauce that was pleasingly unctuous; best of all, the portion was more than enough for the two of us. My advice to you? Get two of these beauties; they’re tasty, filling and cracking value. Bosh!
Sitting back, feeling pretty replete and impressed with our efforts, the serving team then came to tempt us with pudding. We were in two minds as to whether we’d go all-in, but then those seductive words were uttered: “all the puds are home-made”. All will-power evaporated (not that there is ever much of that present) and we ordered Cornflake Tart with Custard (get iiiiiiiiiin!) and the Lemon and Blueberry Bakewell, again with Custard.
Purists will see from the photo that the interpretation of ‘Bakewell’ is loose to say the least (no icing on top, to be a ‘tart’, and no batter to be a pudding), but put your judgement aside because the taste is well worth it. The pastry case was thin and buttery, and generously filled with a dark layer of fruit on the bottom and a paler, sponge-type upper. What can I say about the Lemon-pimped sponge, other than cracking; it had a gorgeously pillowy texture and a clean, clear taste that contrasted perfectly against the deeper, sweeter Blueberries under it. The Custard was gulpably (yet another new word, exclusive to me) hot, and lovely and creamy in texture. His Nibs was a jolly happy camper with his choice.
When I’d first clapped eyes on the dessert list, my first instinct was to go for the ‘Berry Roly Poly’ after all, who doesn’t love a Roly Poly? Then I spied ‘Cornflake Tart’ and, hello, that was it; game over, decision made. The Cornflake Tart was nothing short of spectacular, proving my long-held belief that food doesn’t have to be fancy to be fantastic; this.was.the.gaffer! I was scoffing the tooth-tinglingly sweet Cornflake and Golden Syrup ‘body’ like I’d never seen food before…and I didn’t care who saw me. Just as great was the fruity jam layer that was nestled between the sweet top layer and the [buttery] pastry case bottom. As far as desserts go, this minx was manna from heaven. The poor Custard didn’t really get a look in; sorry, custard.
Safe to say that The Pear Tree in Ripley haven’t been twiddling their thumbs, Sunday Lunch-wise, over the last 16 months or so since we last came – Hot Wings happily given again here. Our total bill came to £65.40 precisely which, for a round of drinks, three courses each, and a side dish you can’t grumble at.
To book a table, call 01773 748203. You can see what’s on at The Pear Tree Hotel (and menus) by visiting www.peartreehotelripley.com
The Pear Tree Hotel is open Mon-Sat 10am-Midnight, and Sunday 10am-10pm; obviously, food service times will differ from the bar opening times, so check when you book.
