The Crown at Worthington

The Crown at Worthington benefits greatly from the internet. If it wasn't for the internet you could assume it was any bog standard normal pub from the outside... that is, if you stumble upon it in the first place. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere!

However, once within the venue, although a traditional pub style interior welcomes you, the menu on offer is something far greater than the average "Dog and Badger" type pub. A mix of local, traditional, modern, and curious sounding dishes await, including "Desperate Dan Pie" and "Black Pudding and Lancashire Cheese Spring Roll". There is also a regularly changing Specials menu, which offered some tasty treats too, and some rather funny typos, ('fwesh strawberries' anyone?).

We were a party of 4, and although we made a reservation, we really didn't need one, as it was quite quiet for a friday night, and so we were offered our choice of where we'd like to sit in the dining room, so we chose a table in the conservatory.

The service team seemed to primarily be young girls. What they lacked in any particular professionalism/experience, they made up for in friendliness and enthusiasm. It was quite funny to occasionally watch a little blonde girl with an arm full of plates give a waist height boot to the kitchen door whenever she needed to get in. One of our party asked what dark ales were available, and although the server who was asked went a bit deer-in-headlights wide-eyed, she was quick enough to find out for us, let us know the % levels, and offer a tasting. For someone who admitted she was new to this, she was very good.

The starters we ordered were tasty and fresh. I personally ordered the Lancashire Spring Roll out of curiosity, and what arrived was a delicious crispy spring roll with a hearty filling and a side of mustard mayonnaise, which was a tasty accompaniment. Although the salad was a nice addition, given the size of the spring rolls, a second one may have been a nicer offering.

The main courses proved an interesting affair as I had decided I wanted a steak, and was introduced to The Crown's butcher's block station, which is a curious and interesting unique selling point to me. In the corner of the main dining room was a counter, behind which was a chiller containing several large cuts of meat, they were sirloin, rib eye, fillet, and rump. The server asked me what cut I would like, and after washing her hands, hoisted the big slab of meat onto the butcher's block and asked what thickness I would like, before slicing it then and there herself. I was asked how I would like it cooked, and what method I would prefer (pan-fried or char-grilled). I chose the latter. I was then able to add any toppings or sauces of my choice, and my choice of side order. I've not really encountered this sort of setup in the UK before, and I think it's not just a novelty, but a very pleasant attraction, showcasing a high quality of product and availability.

 The rest of my party ordered the Baby's Yed, Fish and Chips, and half rack of ribs. My steak came out cooked perfectly, with a really tasty garlic and herb butter, and home-cut chips. The half rack of ribs looked the most impressive, coming out on a rustic board with corn, and sweet potato fries. The fish and chips and baby's yed were also nicely presented, and enjoyed thoroughly by their respective diners.We ordered soft drinks, and also a bottle of wine, which pleasantly came in an ice-bucket.

The quality of the food was high, and we agreed that they were good value for the quality. The only negative point at all was that the ribs didn't come with any sort of wet-wipes. When we asked, we were given some more napkins, which isn't really ideal for sticky ribs. At the end of the meal, we mentioned this to our server and were told that they usually provide a finger-bowl of warm water and lemon for with ribs, and apologised that it had been overlooked this time. A good idea in future though, if it's remembered!


 The desserts we ordered included ice cream (including a lovely sasparilla flavour!), classic suet-style jam roly poly, banoffee roulade, and an eton mess. They were all very tasty and nicely presented with fresh fruit. I particularly liked the presentation of the Eton Mess as a tower on a plate rather than in an ice cream glass.

Overall, The Crown is pretty good value for the excellent food provided, and although the young staff could do with a little training, they were delightful and made our night a pleasant one. The other aspects of the venue such as décor were lovely and warmly traditional. They just need to give those toilets a refurbishment to get them to the standard of the rest of the place, and get some sugar-soap on those doors! It was nice to see that well-behaved dogs were also welcome, and there was a good little car-park too. I would be more than happy to visit again and sample more from their delicious menu!

The toilets, sadly, were pretty grubby pub-style,
 and were in need of a bit of TLC, but this amazing
 70s looking hand-dryer gave me a giggle.

The Crown at Worthington
Platt Lane
Worthington
Standish
Wigan
WN1 2XF
08000 686678
www.thecrownatworthington.co.uk