You’ll be hooked!
OU know when people ask you to tell them a joke and you can never remember one? That’s what happened to me at Catch, the seafood restaurant in Holmfirth.
After our meal the server handed us the bill and a feedback form which asked for a fishy joke, or failing that at least a fishy pun.
Darn it. If I’d known that I could have gone prepared.
The best response I could come up to the question of whether we’d enjoyed the food was: “You must be codding!”
I meant that in the nicest possible way, of course. But I’d have rather left them rolling in the aisles with a joke.
It was a laid-back Sunday. My belly was full and I’d had a couple of bottles of Peroni. It was the best I could do. Sorry.
So, better late than never, what about these?
How does a shark greet a fish? Pleased to eat you.
Why don’t shellfish share? Because they’re shellfish.
What do sharks order at McDonald’s? A quarter flounder with cheese.
As Basil Brush would say: “Boom, boom!”
So my attempt at humour was a bit of a damp squid but I really liked this plaice.
Catch has been open since August 2016 and has a sister restaurant in West Vale.
It promises a “refined seafood dining experience with a difference” and is the brainchild of Lee Roberts, whose family must have seawater running through their veins.
“Old Granny” Roberts started the family fish business in 1919 and fish was in the blood down the generations.
Lee joined the fish and chip business in the North East as a teenager working alongside his father but a shortage of fish, due to catch quotas, meant the business was sold in the 1990s.
After running pubs Lee opened his own chippy in 2012 selling that two years later to concentrate on The Fleece at Barkisland.
But fish was his first love and he came up with the concept for Catch, opening at West Vale and then the following year in Holmfirth.
Despite a light-hearted fishy theme on its branding material the decor is much more grown-up and restrained, industrial cool even. Wood, slate, browns and greys is the style.
The a la carte menu has some impressive – and expensive – dishes. The food is a serious business.
We opted for the Sunday Catch which offered two courses for £19 and three courses for £22. There was an ample choice of six starters, six mains and four desserts.
For starters I chose the grilled sardines, served with lemon and paprika.
The fish was gently grilled and served with heads and tails and the paprika gave it a nice sting on the tongue.
The tiny bones weren’t a problem which is always good to know.
My partner Sian had the calamari, which came with aioli for dipping and smoked paprika. The batter was light and golden with a lovely crispy texture.
For the mains I went for the seafood gratin – potato, broccoli, spinach and gruyere, covered in a light crust.
The server warned it was hot and that was an understatement. Caution is advised for the first few minutes. The topping and sauce was moreish, however. It was a decent portion but I could have eaten more, for sure.
Sian went for the classic Catch fish and chips, a monster fish fried in beef dripping batter. It was:
“Oh, wow!” when this plateful was brought out. Tasted as good as it looked too. You can’t beat beef dripping.
One of the desserts was sticky toffee pudding, one of my favourites. How could I refuse?
This was a beautifully moist pudding and the sweetness of the caramel sauce brought out the rich flavour, cooled with a serving of vanilla ice cream. My love of STP shows no sign of abating.
Sian had the three English cheeses, a choice from five delicious artisan cheeses, which comes with crackers and homemade chutney. It’s not just seafood that Catch does well with.
So what’s the Catch? There isn’t one. If seafood’s your thing set sail for Holmfirth.