Summer really can’t come quick enough for me; I know you shouldn’t wish time away (and I don’t, normally) but, surely, we’re all sick and tired of the relentless grey and gloom now? So it was, that His Nibs and I were making our way to The Anchor Inn at Tideswell, the windscreen wipers swishing rain drops from the jalopy.
We’re well used to quirky things in the ‘Shire, but this car park is perhaps the king or queen of them all! You take a tight dog-leg turn (a car rally worthy one!), literally a turn-right-turn-left one, off the road and into a car park that, I swear, hasn’t got a straight line in it. There are plenty of spaces though, including one for tractors - I kid you not!
The Anchor’s manager, Serena, had kindly invited us along after we’d commented on Chef Courtney’s Bakewell Pudding when we’d spotted it on their socials. Having been checked in at the bar and shown through to the restaurant, Serena came over to say hi, and what a wonderful lady she is; mother-hen and bestie vibes all rolled into one super-friendly package. Rightly proud of her premises and teams, Serena spilled all the tea to us and gave us all the info. we needed about that nights’ specials, then left us alone to make our choices. I knew what I was having for dessert: Chef’s Bakewell Pud; well, I couldn’t not see if it was as tasty as it looked, could I?
For starter, The Man Bird fancied the sound of the Warm Chicken and Bacon Salad with Honey and Dill dressing, Mixed Salad Leaves and crunchy Garlic Croutons (£8.50, gluten free option available); I chose the Avocado, Salmon and Prawn Terrine on a bed of Salad and served with a Lemon and Garlic Mayonnaise (£8.50).
Cutlery and thick napkins were already on the table so, when the food arrived and the obligatory photos were taken, we jumped straight in. From the get-go, it was clear that ‘Team Anchor’ are feeders! The Chicken breast was a good size, and was partnered by equally plentiful, cut-into-thirds rashers of [what I would call] proper farmhouse Bacon; where the poultry was mild and creamy, the bacon was meaty and gently salty. When The Man popped a Garlicky Crouton into his mouth, I swear you could hear the crunch in the next county – it was the equivalent of a sonic boom, in food form! The sweet, sticky Honey and Dill dressing was also a winner in His Nibs’ opinion, and he mixed it in with all the elements on his plate. Visually, this dish was amazing; served on a dramatic, mottled Azure blue platter, the colours of the meal stood out marvellously – talk about impactful!
My starter was described as a Terrine, but I actually disagree with this – not only technically-speaking, but also for the fact that it does not do this tremendous offering justice! Possibly a whole Salmon had been sliced and used to envelop a sumptuously rich, creamy concoction of Cream Cheese, Avocado and Prawn; I thought I’d died and gone to food-heaven. Quickly, I cut through the rose-pink Salmon and revealed the ethereally pale ‘body’ underneath, spreading its luxuriance over the slices of griddle-charred Ciabatta. Once I’d done that, I de-shelled the pair of warmed, whole Prawns that had garnished the ‘Terrine’ and savoured their soft, fragrant flesh. Going back to the [now] heavily laden bread slices, I did a marvellous impression of the Mersey Tunnel with my mouth…I’d seriously under-estimated just how much ‘Mousse’ I’d larruped on! Oh my days, this indulgent confection was beguiling; creamy and rich it definitely was, but Chef had skilfully seasoned it to prevent it being bland. I loved the contrast of the pastel Avocado pieces and rosy Prawns bits, mingled as they were within the airy, fluffy Cream Cheese.
Both of us were waxing lyrical about how fab our first courses had been, twitching with excitement at what was to come with our mains: Lamb Shank (£22.50) for The Man, and the Steak and ‘Unicorn’ Ale Pie for me (£18). Whilst we waited, I took the opportunity to take in the décor at The Anchor Inn in a bit more detail.
The ambience of The Anchor Inn at Tideswell is just what you’d want from a traditional country pub; cosy, inviting and seemingly familiar. Throughout, the lighting was at a homely level; any extra illumination above the tables either coming from spotlights or pendants hanging above them. I do like a wooden floor, and the herringbone-laid one here was nicely matte, rather than being polished to within an inch of its life. This natural patina was picked up nicely in the rich shade of the solid chairs and benches that provided seating in the restaurant. At the rear of the chairs was a faded floral-patterned upholstery, echoed by the William Morris wallpaper in tones of brown and cream on a deepest charcoal background that adorned the upper level of the walls.
On the bottom [panelled] half of the walls, a warm-undertone based shade of deep green/grey/brown added a cocooning feel that was enriched by the tonally painted ceiling; a stark white would’ve just ruined the effect. Landscapes and historical pictures hung on the walls, as well as retro food and beverage advertising prints. As I said, your beloved, traditional pub; one that allows furries- and young non-furries (kids) throughout the entire venue. Children have their own menu (though they can have the ‘normal’ choices, too) and dogs have one of the widest selections we’ve come across: as well as water, they can have their pick from ‘Sir Woofchesters’ menu; snack bars, treat pots and bowls, all in a variety of options. We spotted our pooch’s faves from The Canine Menu: Rabbit, Boar, or Buffalo chews at £2.50 each.
All the food is cooked fresh-to-order by Chef Courtney, so do expect a small wait as standard – and a bit longer at peak times; as I always say though, better to wait a bit more for hot, home-cooked morsels than five minutes for a nuked one!
The Man’s Lamb Shank was sizeable by anyone’s standard, and the meat was freely falling from the bone even before a knife was even wafted in its direction, so tender was it. Rich and deep in flavour, and matched by its tenderness, the Lamb was magnificent; mind you, the liquor was equally superb: Red Wine, aromatic Rosemary and Garlic all combined to provide a multi-layered delight on the palate. Chef had produced a stunningly smooth Mash to go with the Lamb, which was the ultimate in comfort food. Carrot wedges and Garden Peas upped the ante, taste-wise, with their lighter, cleaner notes in the mouth. His Nibs said that this had been an absolute joy to eat.
In the colder months, I am rather fond of a Meat Pie and, taking my first mouthful of this morsel, was more than a smidge pleased that I’d gone with it. Huge chunks of flavoursome Beef and an impossibly thick, ale-pimped gravy that would, to quote my beloved Nana “put hairs on your chest”, were tremendous as was, but combined with the pastry that housed them, they became something extraordinary! When a pie is done as well as this, all that’s needed is some type of spud and peas; here at The Anchor Inn, they serve their morsel with chunky chips and garden peas as standard, but I was my usual cheeky self and asked if I could have Mushy peas instead. Call me common all you like, I think a home-made pie should have soft mushies with it; preferably ones that are doused in vinegar - do not come for me, that’s how I like ‘em!
Serena and her team must’ve seen how we doggedly made our way through the hefty plates of food, and realised that I wasn’t going to finish the chips; they cleared away and then gave us 10 minutes before asking if we wanted pudding. Clearly, I was in the market for Chef Courtney’s Bakewell Pudding (with Custard, rather than Ice Cream or Cream), and The Man, after learning that all the desserts are home-made, opted for his favourite: Sticky Toffee Pudding (again, with Custard). All desserts are £7.95; nice and simple.
Straight off the bat, I am going to say that The Original Pudding Shop in Bakewell still has the crown when it comes to this iconic Derbyshire sweet – to be fair, that’s exactly how it should be, no? Here, Courtney’s pudding had distinct layers of pastry (that were nice and buttery), topped with a thick layer of possibly the most intensely fruity Raspberry Jam on the planet – no shame in this offering at all. However, shame came to me by the bucketload, decades ago, when I attempted to make Bakewell Tart at school. No word of a lie, it curdled! Don’t ask me how or why: my ingredients were stored the same as my class-mates and I followed the teacher’s instructions, but it was an absolute train-wreck. Granny B looked in disbelief at my ‘effort’ and told me I was a disgrace to the ‘Shire…and I could hardly disagree, when the evidence was there, glaringly obvious. Even worse, no-one tried any, either – there’s a strong sense of self-preservation in my flock! I’ve not tried again, in all these years, to make one…and I won’t.
When I say that, if an army came in to eat the Sticky Toffee Pudding at The Anchor Inn, one portion would suffice; trust me, I’m not fibbing! Over the years, The Man has eaten his fair share of puds, but this slab is easily the biggest – and one of the tastiest. Dark in colour, mid-textured, and marvellously rich in taste, this treasure was excellent. Chef had decorated the top with edible flowers for an injection of colour, adding dusted Icing Sugar to enhance the visual. There was plenty of sweet, sticky Toffee sauce surrounding the pudding, too, so all the flavour bases were more than adequately covered.
Serena couldn’t resist coming over when we’d finished, to see what we’d thought. For a split second, I did think about teasing her and saying that it was bit ‘meh’, but she was so lovely, I couldn’t bring myself to do it! We went and stood at the bar to have a chat to the team, and Sous-Chef Luke and Jordan were chuffed to hear that we’d been impressed with their efforts. In typical Chef style, Courtney breezed through as he went about doing jobs, looking in our direction and carrying on! Good job we don’t rate ourselves, eh? Egos would be well and truly bashed – hahahahahahaha.
As far as evenings go, this had been one of the best; the service had been spot-on, food super-scrummy, locals hilarious and friendly, and the venue delightful. Oh, and Serena? I looooooove you. Hot Wings happily given here.
To book a table call 01298 871371 or visit www.theanchortideswell.co.uk, hit the ‘more’ tab on the top right side of the screen, then hit the ‘book a table’ tab. The Anchor Inn is open Sun-Thurs Noon-11pm, Fri-Sat Noon-Midnight; food is served every day between Noon-8pm.
