This was a special occasion, so we wanted somewhere that would be a nice treat, and we'd heard plenty of wonderful things about The Shoulder of Mutton in Bury, so we decided to give it a try.
The first thing you notice as you come through pretty Holcombe Village is that the venue looks like a classic large pub. There's good parking, but I imagine that gets busy quickly. It also has picnic tables just off the car-park area, ideal for if it's a sunny day and you fancy a drink in the sunshine.
As we walked in, it was interesting to spot that this was a "doggy pub", ie dogs were allowed in the venue with their owners. Some might find this unsettling, but we personally found it great! It was nice to see dogs lounging around relaxing, getting petted by the other customers. We were told that they sometimes have to put a limit on how many dogs are allowed, as sometimes it can get quite dog-busy if you've got the walkers coming in after a long trek with Rex and Poppy!
In looking for the restaurant, we first walked into a funny tiny little room off the bar called "The Sarcophagus Room", which was very rustic and cosy inside. I'd describe it as only being around 3 tables large, but perfect for a little privacy or quiet. Think the old school snugs you'd see in pubs and you have a similar idea.
We did find the restaurant, and were greeted by a friendly female staff member who we gave our reservation name to, and were then passed to an equally friendly male member of staff who took us into the dining area and offered us a couple of tables to choose from. There were only five tables in the entire restaurant, which gave it an intimate and pleasant feel. It's also decorated a little more modern than the traditional quaint style of the pub, complete with its low beams and brass signage.
The menu itself was wonderful, and made your mouth water just reading the delicious options, which seem to be both modern and traditional fayre, done in a classy restaurant style, and might I add, done perfectly.
After browsing the menu, we decided that we wanted to leave room for a dessert, and so chose to share a starter. We went for the black pudding dish with home made brown sauce, as we'd heard many good things about this particular dish, and I liked the sound of the thyme hash brown too!
As you can see, the food does come out in an artistic and high class style, but don't let that put you off if you're more of a traditionalist, as the taste was utterly superb. The black pudding is definitely the best I've tasted, and the home made brown sauce was superbly done!
As we waited for our main course, we spoke some more with the staff member who had seated us. He was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. If he needed to speak to us, he would always apologise for interrupting. It turns out he is the brother of the pub's chef, the renowned chef
Chris Yates, and told us that as much as it pained him to admit it to his brother, he is blown away by his culinary excellence. He told us how chef Yates would make him and the family specific foods just for their tastes, and how he loves to cook for his parents too. He also offered us a taste of an intermediate course as it was a special occasion, and told us it was a fish dish.
I'm not always one for seafood, but what came out was delicious and perfectly prepared scallop with tasty accompaniments, including some truly tasty silverskin onions.
For our main course, I opted to go for the steak burger, and was asked if I wanted it cooked "pink or cooked through", which is always pleasant to be asked about a burger rather than just a steak! I naturally asked for it pink. My dining partner chose the suet pudding, which on the night was steak and kidney. We were told that the suet changes frequently depending on the day; you could get steak and kidney one night, and oxtail another. All the more reason to return if you ask me!
The suet was large, and sat in a pool of delicious gravy. It was served with a side of vegetables and some truly fulfilling cheesy mashed potatoes. The suet was soft, hot, bursting with flavour, and delicious.
The burger came out presented traditionally, with very fresh salad, a little basket of perfectly cooked fluffy chips, and a side of silverskin potatoes, and home-made ketchup. The ketchup was delicious, and reminded me of hoisin sauce! The burger was cooked to absolute perfection, and unlike the starter dishes, it was a big bugger, and very filling! I would come here again just for that burger, as it was excellent. You could definitely taste a good steaky texture to it. Perfect.
The hard part was dessert. The entire dessert menu looked amazing, and I changed my mind a few times before settling on a classic... sticky toffee pudding! The sticky toffee pudding here is served hot, with a lovely big blob of ice cream on top, and sat in a pool of decadent caramel sauce.
I can't believe I'm about to say this.
This was the best sticky pudding I have ever had in my entire life. This pudding has spoiled all other sticky toffee puddings for me, and I frankly would be happy to drive all the way over to Holcombe just for this bad boy! Bravo Chef Yates, Bravo!
Chef Yates obviously knows what he's doing here. Every aspect of every dish is cared for and done perfectly, and you head home with a full tummy, delicious flavours still permeating your palate, and a happy grin on your face, continuing to remain on your face as you turn to your partner and muse how delicious it was, and how it cost less that you thought it would.
Utterly superb. One of the best I've enjoyed. I'll definitely be back, probably with my parents and in-laws!
The Shoulder of Mutton
Lumb Carr Road
Holcombe Village
Bury
BL8 4LZ
(01706) 822 001
www.theshoulderofmutton.net
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