Sometimes, just the thought of a foodstuff, or the memory of it at a venue, is enough to get your mouth watering, isn’t it? The last time His Nibs and I had been to The Butchers at Westgate in Long Eaton, we’d had a rather scrummy meal so, when we were kindly invited back, we both instantly flashed back and began to salivate!
Nothing much structurally has changed about Westgate, the multi-storey, restored Victorian Mill that The Butchers is [ground floor] located in, though it has been under new ownership for around two years. The bar area is no longer exclusively a pre-dinner tipple palace; Mon-Sat 9am-3.30pm, it now serves as the Cleaver Café and Bar where breakfast, brunch and lunch are served, though you can still go and enjoy a drink there without eating. Cleaver offers happy hour deals, as well as a bar snacks menu and even ‘free food Friday’ – just in case you needed more incentive to visit this beautiful venue (open 4pm-late on Friday and Saturday)!
Greeted warmly at the host desk in the bar/café, we were taken through to the restaurant and seated at a table near the window that would afford us better lighting for our photography – what a thoughtful touch, thank you.
Thick wood tables are either paired with a long, leather banquette, or with chunky free-standing chairs in chalk white. As I looked up, I smiled with remembrance at the multitude of spider light fittings that sprawl across the ceiling, their black cords wound around the pipework. The striking metal ‘curtain’ is still insitu, too, next to the open-kitchen pass, framing the tall wall beautifully. During our visit, there were lots of younger diners in (I always love to see families dining out together), some of whom were in high-chairs. Dogs are not permitted in The Butchers main restaurant - though Fido would no doubt be very appreciative of any morsels coming his/her way! - but if you tell the team you want to bring your fur-baby with you at the time you book a table, they will pop you in the ‘bar area’ if availability permits.
There’s a marvellous selection of wines on offer at The Butchers, by the bottle and the glass, including the snazzy Pinot Noir I had a large glass of (£13). His Nibs had a pint of Estrella, and there are also cocktails, spirits and softs on offer. Accompanying the extensive drinks, there is an equally large choice of dishes to select from; all the choice was going to take us a while to whittle down, so we ordered some Beef Dripping Popcorn (£4.50) to munch on and reacquaint ourselves with whilst we applied ourselves to the task. If you’ve never tried Beef Dripping Popcorn, all I can say is that you need it in your life; stat! When our server returned, she’d also brought over some of the house marinated Mixed Olives (£4.50), so I was very happy.
As well as the regular menu offerings, the specials board was boasting a 16oz Peppered Rump Steak with all the trimmings and a Creamy Peppercorn Sauce for £36 – those minxes were flying out of the kitchen, I can tell you! To begin with, I had been tempted by the description of the Chicken Caesar Croquettes (£8.95) and The Man opted for Spiced Lentil and Vegetable Pakoras (£7.95). For mains, we went for the 10oz Ribeye, (£36) with King Prawns added (£7.50) and Chimichurri (£4) for me, and the Roasted Derbyshire Lamb Rump (£25.95), again bewitched by the description of them given to us. All the grills at The Butchers come with Triple-cooked Chips, Confit Garlic, Vine Tomatoes, and House Salad; there is also a varied choice of other sides and premium sides available for those that want them.
It wasn’t long before our starters were being placed before us, looking gorgeous on their black, rectangular slates. Honestly, I don’t think Chef could’ve crammed any more Chicken in to my Croquettes – it seemed as if there was a whole, shredded one between the pair of wickedly crisp, golden-outered morsels. The density of them was incredibly satiating and they melted in the mouth instantly! Pungent Anchovies and shavings of salty, nutty Pecorino ramped up the flavour factor, assisted in both taste and texture by impossibly good, crisped Parma Ham… and I mean properly crisped, like super-dried crisp. A rich, creamy Caesar dressing and Baby Gem Lettuce leaves added a cool element to the dish; a true [gastro] supermodel, this was catwalk ready.
On the other side of the table, The Man was more than happy with his Pakoras, murmuring happily as he bit into their crisp outer. Chef had transformed the pale pastry by stuffing it with perfectly spiced Lentils and finely-chopped veggies and then deep-frying it until it became a beautiful shade of rich nut brown. Accompanying the Pakoras was a superbly flavoursome Saag Aloo, complementary in its taste to the crunchy parcels, and bringing some luscious sweetness to the dish was fruity Mango Chutney. So enjoyable was this, that it could easily be up-scaled and served as a main.
You can always tell when a venue has a bit of class to it by the little touches; case-in-point here was when we were asked if we’d like a few minutes before our main courses were called away to Chef. We accepted the breathing space, and sat back to watch some of the younger guests from the wedding reception being held upstairs in The Westgate Suites, take a break in the quiet space of the bar. Fun fact: you can get married upstairs at The Butchers – I never knew that! Even better, The Butchers kitchen team can take care of all your catering, too, so you know your guests will be chowing on top-quality food as the celebrating happens.
Anyway, back to reality and the fact that our Lamb, Beef and accompaniments were tantalising our nostrils with their aromas. Multi award-winning butchers Owen Taylor and Sons provide The Butchers with all their steaks, sourced from Mr Chamberlain at his Shardlow farm. Nice to see that a business within the ‘Shire is being supported. I tell you what, Chef can’t half cook a steak – this was bloody amazing! The steaks’ fat was softened and juicy, imparting its luxuriance through the beef fibres; the flavour had my palate swooning, along with the mellow, squishy cloves of Confit Garlic.
Triple cooked Chips were everything you could want: ultra-crisp outers and meltingly soft inners with a sublime nutty taste. I think I lucked out with my dish as there were two vines of perfectly roasted baby Tomatoes on my plate – not that you’ll hear any complaints from me about that; I love the sweet, juicy little monkeys. In a separate pot, the verdant Chimichurri beckoned and I quickly succumbed to its bright, clean herbiness, revelling in the acidity at its periphery and garlic’s unmistakeable addition. This uncooked sauce really lifts any meat in the mouth and cuts through any richness from fat, and it paired marvellously with the fragrant, juicy King Prawns, too.
Across from me, I looked on with undisguised envy as I clapped eyes on the [cooked perfectly pink] thick slices of Lamb and its entourage. No word of a lie or exaggeration, this dish looked (and tasted) like it had come from an AA Rosetted establishment, it was that good! The Lamb Loin was beyond moist thanks to being properly rested after roasting, with a depth of flavour that was mesmerising. A Goats’ Cheese Mousse was nicely musky, but had a floral bounce to it from the incorporation of Lavender – this was utter genius…blooming tasty genius. Summer’s exuberance came in the guise of a chopped, edible flower-garnished Heritage Tomato Salsa, and in-season Jersey Royal potatoes had been halved and baked, then drizzled with whipped Honey. Now can you see why I had been so envious?!
I‘ve always said that a clean plate speaks volumes, and our pair were squeakily spotless which elicited a wide smile from The Butchers General Manager, Bea, as she cleared them away. Having had another brief hiatus, it was time to tuck into the [homemade] desserts we’d ordered: Chocolate Fondant with Clotted Cream Ice Cream (£8.95, for me) and Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce and either Vanilla Ice Cream or Custard (£7.95, His Nibs, Ice Cream).
In keeping with the previous two courses, the desserts looked nothing short of stunning. My Fondant was moodily dark with the Clotted Cream Ice Cream softening nicely on its top. When I wielded my spoon and cut into it, I was really pleased to see three distinct ‘zones’ to it: the relatively pale outer ‘crust’, the darker, softer mid-layer, and finally the rapturously dark, molten centre. If dark chocolate hits the spot for you, you most certainly won’t find this minx lacking; indulgently rich, Cocoa hit its target smack in the bulls’ eye! A sprig of fresh Mint provided garnish as well as being handy to freshen the breath.
Regular readers of the blog will know that The Man has a penchant for Sticky Toffee Puds, to say the least. On this occasion, it was perhaps as well…there are sizeable portions and there are those that justify their own postcode; His Nibs’ most definitely fitted into the latter category. With a texture to die for, and taste to match, this pudding was glorious; sitting proudly in a lake of silky Toffee Sauce, this really was a pud worthy of the DeLorean treatment! Like my dessert choice, the heat of the pud saw its cool, dairy partner melting steadily under its warmth, and pale streams of a rounded Vanilla Ice Cream were trickling down it.
To conclude our tremendously fab meals, The Man and I ordered our customary Black Coffees, from local, Lenton-based roasters, Outpost Coffee. This bean was beautifully robust, leaving its mark on the palate in a medium-roast kinda way. If I lived locally, I’d be popping in to The Butchers café at least once a week for coffee and breakfast!
There wasn’t a single moment that our experience hadn’t been magnificent at The Butchers in Long Eaton. The team ensured that we had everything we needed and checked that the meats were to our liking, and just generally wanted us (and all their guests) to have a memorable time with them. Hot Wings very happily given to this remarkable restaurant.
To book a table, call 0115 684 9349 or visit www.thebutchersatwestgate.co.uk and select your date and time from the booking diary that pops up. Groups of 8+, please contact the team directly. The Butchers restaurant is closed Mon -Thurs, open Fri – Sat 4pm-11pm, and Sun Noon-7pm. Cleaver Café and Bar is open Mon – Sat 9am-3.30pm, and Sun 9am-Noon.
You might also enjoy:
