The Windmill - Parbold

There must be a 'how to' guide on putting together upmarket country pubs that's doing the rounds of Northern villages at the moment. Roaring fires, mismatched furniture, real ale on tap, Farrow and Ball paint scheme and a gourmet burger on the menu.

The Windmill in Parbold has recently been revamped and it seems they have read the aforesaid how to. The dining room and snug are replete with old, mismatched furniture and a fire roars away in the main dining room. Conveniently for The Windmill they are actually located next to an interiors shop - which is good, as their walls are definitely Farrow and Ball Elephant's Breath. And yes there is a gourmet burger on the menu.

The Windmill Interior - with thank to The Windmill Parbold

The daytime menu (for it was daytime when we were there) is quite long, encompassing usual pub fare such as fish and chips, calves liver and steak and ale pie. For those who want something smaller/are on a budget, there's also the light bites menu. The menu promotes local food and suppliers, though unlike places such as The Clogg and Billycock, there is no mention of them in the menu, other that 'Scotts the Butchers.'

Fish and Chips

Food is well presented, but there seems to be something lacking in the execution. The venison and chorizo burger was small, very, very salty and dry; yummy mummy's risotto was soggy and badly seasoned, however there was no fault with the boy's fish and chips (could you get that wrong) and my duo of sausages on cheesy mash was well cooked. The mash was surprisingly light with just the right amount of cheese taste shining through.

Venison and chorizo burger

Puddings were also hit and miss. The brownie tasted fab; dark and bitter tempered by a hint of cheeky sweetness with a tangy berry compote that sent little electroshocks of sharp pleasure across the tongue. The dish was marred by the terrible consistency; the brownie was very gritty, almost as if it had been rewarmed in the microwave and the chocolate had split.

Sticky toffee pudding

The sticky toffee pudding was large and soaked with syrup, a little too cakey in texture for me; but I only tasted a mouthful as it was wolfed by the boy in record time (no matter that it was almost a million degrees either - maybe I should take advantage of this talent and make money from his speed eating?).

Service was friendly, if a bit slow and forgetful - but as we were there to enjoy a lazy Saturday lunch it's not something that we cared about too much. The staff didn't seem that knowledgeable about ingredients, but they were more than happy to go and find out from the kitchen.

The Windmill is a great pub if you live in Parbold or the surrounding villages. They've good ales on tap and have a snug that's brilliant for reading your book and watching the comings and goings of the villages. Whether you'd bother travelling far for another country village gastropub clone with only quite alright food is another matter.

Ps - if you go in winter wear your coat to the toilets, they are sub-zero freezing!

Cost for four mains, four puddings and drinks: £59.60

Food: 6/10
Service: 6/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 6/10

Total - 25/40

The Windmill, 3 Mill Lane, Parbold, Wigan WN8 7NU - 01257 462935

http://www.thewindmillatparbold.co.uk/  @TheWindmillPub

The Clog and Billycock - Pleasington, Blackburn

We've been to The Clog and Billycock in Pleasington a few times since we upped sticks and moved out of the city to greener pastures. Our first few visits were amazing; a great pub in a lovely area with well sourced, well cooked food, making the most of the riches the North West has to offer.

The Clog and Billycock is one of Lancashire chef Nigel Howarth's chain of Ribble Valley Inns that are big on locally sourced food and advertising the producers behind what's served up. Decked out in eggshell blue, mismatched furniture, food served in kilner jars/on chopping boards and a roaring fire it's got the gastropub look down to a tee - though it can sometimes feel a little sterile as the building's had quite a modern fit out and the serving utensils are sometimes over thought.

Clog and Billycock interior - with thanks to CityLife.co.uk

The food's generally good, there's a lot of care and thought gone in to something that's basically being served in a pub. Some of the stars are the Lonk Lamb hotpot with homemade pickled cabbage and crispy potato topping, which is served with a spoon (more places should promote eating up the leftover sauces with spoons, this is the North - embrace it!); the burger, which is usually served pink is massive, soft and salty - plus it comes with chips cooked in dripping; they are what I think young people term 'fit.'

Burger - with thanks to Clog and Billycock

Every month there's a new specials menu, which disappointingly has gone from being a separate menu with pictures/descriptions of what the seasonal ingredient is; parsnips, asparagus, apples... to being a little stick on bit on the main menu - a victim of the economic downturn?

Puddings are reminiscent of school, lots of suet and custard going on (can you hear the boy emitting an audible yay from there?) and they're big on cleverly flavoured homemade ice cream (eccles cake is a recent addition); but I'm sad to say that the most amazing pudding; a chocolate mousse (mousse is too airy a word, it was almost a ganache) with milk foam and hot dark chocolate is no longer on the menu. It was ace, but you'll have to take my word for it as it's not there now.

The food is well sourced and this attitude also applies to the drinks. There's usually a good selection of casks, bottled ales, local ciders and interesting softies including Mawson's sarsaparilla.

So what's the bad point then? The thing is, as good a the Clog and Billycock is ever since we've been there the service has been getting worse. The first time we visited things were pretty much great, apart from a little slowness here and there. But each time since there's been more and more mistakes, ending with our last visits for the Mother's birthday. Firstly we asked three times for a glass of wine (from the same waitress), only to have to go to the bar and then be given one in a dirty glass, a dish was forgotten, we asked for more bread with the starter and it came out with the pudding, the food was cold/overcooked and it goes on - we weren't even there at a particularly busy time.

Clog and Billycock waiter

The Clog at Billycock can be a great pub, it's best in the winter with the fires roaring as it gives the place a little more soul. Food's generally of a high standard and it's commendable that ingredients are sourced with care from the local area. It's a shame that service has become poor, leaving you feeling exasperated and annoyed as the price you pay for locality and sustainability is pretty high, especially as you realise you need to order veg with some of the dishes (most dishes do come with sides, it's just they're generally veg free!). The management need to sort this out as I doubt we'll be back for some time now, and if we do go it'll just be the two of us, no more showing it off to visiting relatives.

Best time to pop in is an evening in the winter and asked to be sat in one of the booths (can seat about four or six smallies at a push) by the fire.

Ps - try the Morcambe Bay shrimps - they smother them with lovely mace blade butter and they're the nest I've had throughout the NW (bar from the trailer on the beach with wind whipping through your hair and sand in your trainers).

Pps - portions can be quite big so I usually only choose two courses, or have two starters and a pudding.

Pps - sorry for the lack of photos, technology gremlins

Starters £2.50-£13.50, mains £9-£25, puddings £5-£10.

Food - 7/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Service - 5/10
Value for money - 7/10

Total - 25/40

The Clog and Billycock, Billinge End Road, Pleasington, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 6QB - 01254 201163 enquires@theclogandbillycock.com

http://www.theclogandbillycock.com/real-pub.htm

@RVIpubs

Butler's Cheese - Lancashire

Cheese - loved by many, loathed by the boy, obsessed over by me.

I remember the day I actually fell in love with cheese: I was three years old and my parents had laid out a classic 'bits and pieces' (basically a Saturday night off cooking for my Mum so we had a pic-nic in the lounge - blanket and all) and unusually for small village Wales there was a very ripe, creamy, oozing Camembert included in the spread.

My Dad, being a Dad and rather unmannered in my Mum's eyes, dipped his finger into the oozing cheese and thrust it into my little mouth (said same mouth that until that moment had only eaten Dairylea, Red Leicester and Cheddar) and I was in love - full blown obsession in fact. (Note: this evening was also the evening I fell in love with kabanos, hummus and tomatoes and developed my life-long hatred for rollmop herrings).

Although I loved cheese, my love for the blue stuff didn't come for a very long time. I may have eaten myself through all the hard and soft cheeses that the United Kingdom, France and other parts of Europe could churn out (slight dairy-ish pun intended) - but it wasn't until a cheese rolling competition on behalf of Stilton that I became addicted to this mouldy, smelly milk derivative.

When I first moved to Manchester I became aware of the North's fine cheeses, mostly helped along by visits to the old Love Saves the Day delis (remember them?) and it was here I first tasted Blacksticks Blue - much to my delight this is no longer a cheese confined to delis; but instead has won both critical acclaim (indeed Glyn Purnell just used it on the Great British Menu) and the love of the masses too and can now be found in the cheese aisle of the larger supermarkets, along with other Butlers stablemates.

Blacksticks Blue is an unusual cheese - it's blue yes, but it's also not creamy white, but a rich amber colour. The taste is subtle to start, with a soft and creamy mouth feel, then the nutty flavours start to creep in and by the end of the mouthful you have a delicious tangy punch and are begging for more.

My recent cheese feast inc Blacksticks Blue, Blacksticks Creamy and Creamy Lancashire

Blue is a cheese that makes a wonderful addition to a cheese board - it's a wonderfully unusual colour, doesn't stink the house out and has a sharper, tangier flavour than some of the conventional blues on the market. My favourite way with Blue is usually just on it's own snaffled out of the packet, but it's equally good on oatcakes or paired with fresh apple (a sweeter one) or even pear.

If the thought of a tangy blue cheese isn't your thing, then Butlers have jigged about with their original white blue cheese and brought out Blackstick's Creamy. This cheese has an even softer and creamier mouth feel than the Blue - it's almost decadent how the cheese melts on your tongue. Once again the flavour of the cheese creeps through, but there is no punchy tang, rather a sweet flavour that caresses your taste buds. This is the Butlers cheese to add to sauces, or to toss through pasta, add to salads and melt in the tops of frittatas (very good actually).

You don't just have to cook with Creamy; the cheese also lends itself well to the cheese board and is again great with fruit or even celery. There's nothing I like more than squashing Creamy into the middle of a stick of celery and crunching my way through it (it's got veg in it so it's one of your five a day!).

Butlers isn't all about blue cheese (though it is what they're famous for) - on my travels to my local retailer (read Tesco) I picked up some Butlers Creamy Lancashire - it certainly is creamy; it's also buttery and very smooth. This wouldn't be a cheese I'd usually eat as if I'm going for a hard cheese I tend to opt for a Cheddar that's going to blow my head off, but this made a welcome change. Unlike other low strength hard cheeses Creamy Lancashire still has plenty of taste and isn't a watered down cheap version of something, but a quality product in its own right.

Blacksticks Blue and Creamy - with thanks to Smoking Gun PR

The taste of Butlers Creamy Lancashire is very subtle at first, almost not even there; then a buttery milkiness fills the mouth, coupled with a slight sweetness that makes the cheese dangerously edible (I ate half the block in the first sitting). This is a cheese suited to eating as a cheese, rather than putting in a sauce where the delicate flavour may be lost. I found the best way was with sharp apples or on top of oatcakes and livened up with a small amount of Mr Vikki's Chili Jam (the BEST chili jam in the world - go get some!) or homemade chutney (I make quite a sharp one, I don't think it would pair too well with something you buy at the supermarket as they are usually over sweet). This is also an excellent cheese for butties - I made a very good one with the first of this season's tomatoes and thick slivers of the Lancashire in between some crusty white bread.

I'm glad Butlers are now gaining the success and the distribution that they deserve - hopefully this won't change their careful production methods. According to their website they hand make all their cheeses in individual moulds using milk from their own family farms and those in the surrounding region (within 10 miles or less) - certainly you can taste the care and attention that goes in to their cheeses, let's hope it continues.

Ps - Butler's also produces a sheeps milk blue cheese called Velvet and a goats milk called Silk - I have yet to taste either but will report back when I do.

Pps - Butlers is also running a cheese recipe competition - you can win a break in Lancashire and (more importantly) some of their lovely cheeses! Send your recipes to media@smokinggunpr.co.uk or check out the website.

The Oyster and Otter - Feniscowles, Blackburn

Located just off the M65, the The Oyster and Otter is the newest gastropub to spring up near us, so it seemed a good place to take Mother-in-law on her recent visit.

Rocking up to the Oyster and Otter we were initially taken aback by the modern, Scandinavian look of the building - usually reserved for new Brewyers Faryes and other such establishments, we hoped the food wouldn't be the usual chain food offerings of over-cooked steak and greasy finger food.

Oyster and Otter interior (with thanks to The Oyster and Otter)

Walking in we were confronted by a very busy bar decked out in usual gastropub guise of specials on blackboards, Farrow and Ball paint shades and mismatched furniture tied together with the use of the same fabric recovering their reclaimed chairs. The pub has been very well put together and has a modern, yet cosy feel - they haven't tried to recreate an old style pub as so many gastropubs do and is a welcome change.

Initial success came upon finding that the bar stocked Hendrick's; second success came when they offered cucumber without us having to ask (though we did have to wait whilst they popped to the kitchen to find some).

We were seated away from the bar but still in the main room (there's a back room too) and were impressed by the varied selection on the menu; unusually for a pub menu there's a lot of fish - this comes from the Otter's owners - a one family group with a background in catering, fishing and sourcing quality produce.

We started with  the platter to share, which was a fishy selection of crispy squid, scallop gratin, prawns and hot smoked salmon salad. The calamari was gorgeous, really crispy without being chewy and the prawns were massive, meaty, sweet and fresh. I'm not a fan of cheese and scallops, but the gratin was actually very well executed - a well seasoned and runny-ish sauce with plenty of perfectly cooked, tiny, sweet queenies to be found within.

Platter

For mains the boy and mother-in-law took advantage of the hearty pub food on offer (well, we were in a gastropub). Mother-in-law's steak was obviously a well-sourced piece of meat and cooked expertly. The boy's pie (actually called The Pie on the menu) was fully enclosed and hand shaped, hiding an entire cow's worth of oozy, beefy filling - as we all know about the boy's love of beefy pastry delights, you can guess how amazed at having this beauty on his plate.

The pie

I'd gone left-field with my choice and order the pollock and chorizo off the specials board. I was a little apprehensive at the inclusion of chorizo in a fish dish as a poor salami can overpower even a meaty piece of fish with a metallic paprika flavour. I had no need to be worried as the chorizo used was of very high quality and the meaty, porcine, slightly spicy flavours complimented the massive piece of pollock and highlighted the dish's other star ingredient of mussels. The whole dish married beautifully and each piece was cooked brilliantly (take note on mussel cooked Rigalettos).

Pollock with mussels and chorizo

Having stuffed ourselves silly with the generous portions provided we only had room for ice-cream, which I'm so glad we chose. I'm not too happy with the current trend of pubs charging nearly £5 a dish for three scoops of ice-creams, knowing full well that a whole tub of it only costs that much - rant over though, the ice-cream was deliciously creamy and the amaretto flavour rounded off the meal perfectly.

The Oyster and Otter isn't cheap for a pub, but the food is well sourced and is excellently put together by an obviously competent kitchen. The service we had was very attentive and friendly and it seems the whole team pull together well. The only downer on the whole night was the heat - we got so hot I had to take my shoes off!

Ps - for those local, you don't even have to pop in to the pub - they have a takeaway at the side of the building offering fish, chips and homemade pies.

Price for one sharing platter, three mains, one pudding, three gin and tonics and three pints - £79.50.

Food - 7/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Value for money - 6/10

Total - 28/40

The Oyster and Otter, Livesey Branch Road, Feniscowles, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 5DQ -
01254 203200 - www.oysterandotter.co.uk/index.html

The Cartford Inn - Little Eccleston, Nr Preston

Call me old fashioned, but I don't like to be lied to. I know, it's an old prejudice that I just can't get over, but I especially hate it when there is no need to be lied to.

Arriving at The Cartford Inn on a Friday night we had expected a long wait for a table or to be turned away, especially as we hadn't booked ahead. After Chinese whispers through four staff we were told we had been squeezed in to a table, but they were completely full and we would have to relinquish it by 9pm at the latest (it was 7pm at this point so we weren't worried).

As we were 'squeezed in' we were lead upstairs to the slightly more formal mushroom dining room where surprise surprise, we were the only ones in (and there were at least six or seven tables up there). For the next two hours (we were good and left at 9pm) we were only joined by two other couples - very busy indeed.

The Mushrooms

I'll stop moaning now and talk about food - I know that's why you're here.

The Cartford Inn is a sleek gastropub, recently renovated in light wood, contemporary wall paper and many pictures of mushrooms. This is mirrored in their menu with it's mix of British classics, local produce and Mediterranean influences - though not many mushrooms (much to the delight of my dining companion, the massively mushroom phobic male solicitor).

To start we decided to share two of the wooden platters between the four of us - the antipasti and the Fleetwood seafood. Both were laden with food and good value for £8.95 each. Especially worth a mention was the smoked duck breast; pink, soft and with a delectable hint of wood smoke. The crevettes on the seafood board were massive, two of the largest specimens I have seen in my life and cooked brilliantly to boot.

Antipasti platter (minus quite a few bits, the boys were tucking in)

Following this came the mains, the boy's Chef's signature dish was a well executed oxtail and ale suet pudding (he's Northern, he needs suet to survive). The oxtail unctuous, soft and comforting in a rich gravy; the suet soothing, salty and warm all served up with a massive beetroot salad (there must have been at least three beetroots in there), plus a smooth mash and some seasonal British beans.

The chef's special and all its beetroot

Having spent the whole weekend feasting my way round the outskirts of Preston and the lower Lakes I wasn't feeling up for a whole main, so instead chose two starters to come out with the main dishes. The Lancashire Cheese tart was just a tasty cheese and onion tart as you'd find in any good pub. But it was the soft shelled crab on the shore that raised a smile.

Lancashire cheese tart

Consisting of soft shell crab, potted shrimps, samphire and chili jam, the dish could have come out with some pretty standard presentation. However, the chef had the good sense to make a beach scene and present the whole crab breaded, the shrimps as a sandcastle (replete with little plastic spade) and a jelly fish made of samphire and chili jam.

Soft shell crab on the seashore

If the taste level of the dish had matched the level of fun then we'd have been on to a winner. The chili jam was great, as were the local shrimps, the contrast in textures created an exciting dish - it was just the crab and the samphire that let the dish down. The samphire was cold and soggy and the crab was more breadcrumb than meat - the crumb was nice, I just wanted some more crab!

Overall The Cartford Inn is a great place for sleek pub food, served in in a comfortable and modern environment. Other than what I guess was an attempt at pushy table-turning by the manager the service was impeccable and attentive - the waiter was very knowledgeable about the food. And other than the soft shell crab being more style than substance - the food was pretty good.

And the gin and tonic issue? This is the only establishment I have been where I have asked for a cucumber in my Hendricks and been given one - they even went to the trouble of going to the kitchen to cut me a slice without a grumble and asked my opinion on the advantage of it over lime or lemon - what jolly nice people, gold star!

Ps - if approaching from any other way than through Little Ecclestone, then take change for the tollbridge - it's 40p each way.

Price for four including: two starters, two platters and three mains (we ordered drinks at the bar): £70.82

Value for money: 7/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Food: 7/10

Total: 27/40

The Cartford Inn, Cartford Lane, Little Eccleston, Nr Great Eccleston, Preston, Lancashire PR3 0YP - 01995 670166, info@thecartfordinn.co.uk

http://www.thecartfordinn.co.uk/index.htm

The Home Farm Shop - Bispham Green, Nr Wigan

The Home Farm Shop is a farm shop on steroids. Owned by Ainscoughs, the Parbold family that have been farming the area for the last 200 years and who have built up a 'group of select, pubs, hotels and restuarants' throughout the North West, the shop sells their organic and high welfare produce; plus a delicious selection of other goodies and is next door to their pub The Eagle and Child.

Home Farm Shop boasts an impressive meat counter selling the Ainscoughs' organic beef from their farm in the area (the 1600 acre farm converted in 2000), plus organic lamb and pork from Mansergh Hall and Matson Ground organic farms in Cumbria.

Although the meat is organic it is surprisingly good value and is aged for at least 21 days in the shop's chillers. Better quality, low food miles and better welfare is something I'm happier to pay a little bit more for (I think the two lamb steaks we bought turned out to be £1 more for the same weight non-organic at the supermarket).

Plus at the meat counter of the Home Farm Shop I (and more importantly the Boy) made the best discovery ever - home-made black pudding! The square pudding is made with fresh blood in store by the butcher (he's great) and has a lovely spicy flavour with not too much fat - a great find that the Boy (a true northerner) ensured I bought enough for at least three breakfasts. I would like to make a very controversial comment about this controversial product - it's better than Bury's.

Not only a great selection of meat, the shop boasts a cheese counter with such delights as Blacksticks Blue and Stinking Bishop, plus less well known cheeses - the staff are very helpful and will guide you to a cheese that suits, plus choose the right accompaniments - I had never thought of plum bread with blue cheese (it's a type of spiced fruit loaf), but turns out to be a great companion on my cheese board.

The rest of the shop is taken over by numerous jams, chutneys, oils, chocolates and other premium store cupboard products. It's hard to go in here with a budget and stick to it! They also sell my favourite chocolate - Montezuma's Dark Chocolate with Orange and Geranium; dark, slightly orangey with a lovely floral flavour, doesn't last long!

The Home Farm Shop also sells organic and non-organic locally produced fruit and veg. You can't plan your weekly shop before you come here as the produce is very much what's in season and what is available to them - this is the only place I have been able to pick up damsons when in season so it's always worth a trip to see what they have.

Being placed next to The Eagle and Child and being part of a hospitality chain, The Home Farm Shop makes good use of their alcohol sourcing. The shop is stocked with a good selection of wines, real ales and ciders, plus organic versions of all. The staff at the shop are again very good at pointing you in the right direction and we walked away with a very good Fleurie (we raised a glass that night to The Home Farm Shop).

The Home Farm Shop isn't cheap and you can't do your weekly shop here (unless you're talking about the meat and then you can), but as it goes it's the most well stocked farm shop I've come across with a genuine care for sourcing good quality products with a cracking butchers. Why not pop into the Eagle and Child whilst you're there (you won't be disappointed with the food their either).

Opening hours -
Mon-Tue: Closed
Wed-Sat: 10am-5.30pm
Sun: 11am-5pm

The Home Farm Shop, Bispham Green, Near Parbold, Lancashire L40 3SG - 01257 462624
http://www.ainscoughs.co.uk/The-Eagle-Child-Farm-Shop/welcome-to-the-home-farm-shop.html

The Eagle and Child - Bispham Green, Nr Wigan

Sometimes you have a longing for a proper pub; a pub with dark wood, flagged floors, proper ale on tap and a log fire (ok, the fire was off as it was a hot day, but you're getting the picture). The only thing about a 'proper pub' is that you run a gauntlet with the menu: chicken nuggets, scampi, flabby chips and pickled eggs, if you're lucky.

Thankfully there's the The Eagle and Child in Bispham Green: stone floors, check; dark wood, check; real ale on tap, check; typical menu, thankfully no.

The Eagle and Child is a cosy pub, especially if you sit near the bar and not in the dining room (book ahead and ask) and features one of the best food menus I've seen in a pub for a while. The food on the menu is mainly from local suppliers and there is a large emphasis on using high-welfare meat and plenty of game, especially on the specials menu (which is very long and actually much better than the bar menu) and also includes meat reared on the farm that also owns the pub (and the farm shop next door).

Being a Sunday the Boy decided that he couldn't let the massive yorkshire puddings being paraded past our table go, so he and the Make-up Artist decided to opt for the traditional beef roast. Myself and Daddy decided that we would kick of the beginning off the season and help the local farmers by ordering the wood pigeon with wild mushroom and pancetta gravy.

The beef roast was a big dish including two different types of potatoes (the boy was in heaven), two big, thick slabs of beef, a massive home made yorkshire and gravy. The roasties were good and crisp, not a patch on Mother's (but then whose would be?), the beef wasn't served pink (much to the boy's dismay), but was soft and well flavoured. And the yorkshire pudding? Large and lovely by all accounts (there was none left for me to try!).

The roast beef (and the boy's hand)

The pigeon was a little more of a cultured affair with three large breasts served pink, only one was slightly dry. The birds had been hung well as most of the meat was soft and had a lovely gamey flavour that some establishments are too scared to highlight these days. The pancetta and mushroom gravy really complimented the rich meat, though was slightly too salty for my taste (but I am known for being particularly fussy with salt).

The pheasant

On Sunday main dishes at The Eagle and Child come with a side of veg; this day's being carrots, cauli and ratatouille. The carrots and cauli were just plain boiled, fine with the rest of the dish and had a good crunch left in them. It was good to see somewhere trying to be a bit different with the inclusion of the ratatouille, however it had been overly reduced and was very tinny tasting. Against fish or light chicken dishes this may have been a great compliment, but against the heavy roast and the meaty pigeon the flavours clashed and the ratatouille was so flavourful it almost drowned out everything else.

Side veg with the overpowering ratatouille

Again the parading dishes caught the Boy's eye and he couldn't let the apple crumble and custard go. Compared to the mains the puddings at the Eagle and Child weren't up to scratch. The crumble was soft and overly sweet, and I swear the custard wasn't home made. Make-up artist's crannock was a soft dish of cream, oats and whiskey with a few raspberries thrown in. This pudding presented with far too much cream and not enough oats, whiskey or raspberries - more fruit would have lightened the dish up no end and provided a refreshing juxtaposition in what was otherwise a very heavy and disappointing end to a fabulous meal. However compared to the traditional pub puddings of Sara Lee black forest gateaux these were ambrosia (just like the custard).

Cost for four mains, two puddings and two pints: £65.99.

Value for money: 7/10

Atmosphere: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Food: 7/10

Total: 27/40

The Eagle and Child, Bispham Green, Parbold, Lancashire L40 3SG - 01257 462297

http://www.ainscoughs.co.uk/The-Eagle-Child/eagle-and-child-home.html