Grub that’s more tasty than trendy

I’VE been likened to Henry VIII a fair few times in my time, so when Mrs Eats said “The Marquis of Granby” when I told her I had a craving for a steak and ale pie, I assumed she was comparing me to another of history’s great lovers of food. In fact she was suggesting a visit to this roadside pub named after a popular 18th Century military leader – and who was I to argue? The place is as attractive inside as out, managing to be both roomy and traditional, with its walls peppered with food and drink-related quotes. We got there early enough to get away without a reservation, but I wouldn’t recommend turning up without booking at 1 or 2pm, as the place w a s virtually full. Although there was a sign just inside the door offering a ‘spring special’ of two courses for £12 or three for £16, this doesn’t seem to apply on Sundays. Fair enough – but perhaps the sign should be removed before the pub opens its doors for the Sunday crowd. There were four starter options – winter vegetable soup (£4.50), chicken liver pate (£6), black pudding (£5) and ‘traditional’ prawn cocktail (£5). I had the latter, and couldn’t help thinking the word traditional here was a way of saying ‘unremarkable’, as the dish offered nothing special – prawns in

a very gloopy Marie Rose sauce, a lemon wedge, a little salad, and two small slices of bread. There was nothing offensive about it, and I polished it all off, but it was a no taste sensation. It needed something to liven it up. Mrs Eats, on the other hand, was well pleased with her choice. According to the menu, the chicken liver pate is the chef’s own recipe, and it was a winner with Mrs E, who called the slightly spicy concoction ‘beautiful’. It came with red onion marmalade and ‘Geordie Bakers toasted sourdough’, which I’d have called slices of stottie. Next I got my steak and ale pie (£9), served with roast potatoes, mash and mashed swede. The presentation did nothing for it, the enamel dish and scoop of mash seeming very school dinners, but it proved to be a very satisfying dish, replete with proper chunks of beef. The thick shortcrust pastry was rather dry, but absolutely fine when enjoyed with gravy, an extra jug of which was provided without us having to ask. Again, Mrs Eats appeared to have made the best choice with her roast leg of lamb and Yorkshire pudding (£10). She said the none-toofatty meat was just right and enjoyed the crispiness of the enormous Yorkshire. She had the same accompaniments on her plate as me, and we also enjoyed a shared dish of cabbage, broccoli and carrots. These hadn’t looked very appetising, but once again this pub’s grub tasted better than it first looked. Dessert-wise, this is a place for fans of stodge. The four offerings (all £5) were sticky chocolate orange sponge, jam roly poly, lemon meringue pie and sticky toffee pudding. We decided to orderd justj one pudd – theh j jam rolyl poly, which Mrs Eats mainly tackled. This time it was her turn to be reminded of school dinners – but in a positive way. She loved its traditional flavour and liked the ice cream on the side too. The staff were very professional, attentive and eager to please, and overall our visit was a pleasure. Some work could be done on presentation of food and finishing touches for dishes, but we certainly left the pub feeling content.