The Sun Hotel in Ulverston was possibly the first licensed premises I ever went into.


The Cajun chicken, with half rice and half chips In the late 1960s and early 1970s, when I was barely out of nappies I remember being taken through the revolving doors into the main Victorian part of the hotel and being awestruck by the grandeur and elegance of the place. The Sun was where ladies of the town met for lunch and afternoon tea, gathering in the lovely foyer.

On market – or “l’ile pig” – days, tweed-suited farmers, merchants, doctors, solicitors and businessmen would gather. The Sun was the place to be in the Ulverston of days gone by. Sadly, the Victorian part of the hotel was sacrilegiously demolished in the 1970s, replaced by a soulless group of shop buildings which added nothing to the town centre. Left standing was the older, coaching inn part of the building which, over the years, has not had the best made of it.
Chocolate fudge cake with ice cream and cream

In many other towns, coaching inns have retained their status as elegant and atmospheric places to eat, drink and stay. The Sun in Ulverston has not enjoyed the same fate; and to many people it goes largely unnoticed by day, despite its central position.

I called in for lunch a few weeks ago: and it was the first time I had set foot in the place for years. I last regularly frequented The Sun as a sixth former, when I spent many a miserable hour down in the Sun Disco (now called Mackenzie’s, I think), dressed as a plonker in pirate ruffles and ankle boots, downing Southern Comfort and crying in the toilets over boys who didn’t fancy me (the New Romantic style of the 1980s really wasn’t a good look for me).

It’s safe to say The Sun has stood the test of time about as well as I have. The place looks as knackered as I felt on the day I went in. But, unlike my good self, it is about to undergo a major facelift, according to the exceptionally helpful and pleasant waiter who looked after me and my friend during our lunchtime sojourn.

With the best will in the world it would be difficult to describe the bar area as anything other than tired. Not surprisingly, my friend and I were just about the only people in the place – and the dining room was empty. Which is a shame, actually, as the echoes of the pub’s former glory are still there. We settled ourselves in a window seat (The Sun is fantastic for people watching) and ordered from the two courses for £12 menu. The waiter brought us a freebie bowl of chilli peanuts as we enjoyed an aperitif of wine and watched people heading back and forth to the cashpoint next to the window.

We shared a starter of chilli and home-made tortillas, which was just great. The tortillas were fab and, after enquiring how they were made, we learnt they were wraps which had been cut into triangles and deep-fried. They went brilliantly with the chilli and we both resolved to try the same thing ourselves.

My friend opted for a chicken stack for main, while I chose the Cajun chicken, with half rice and half chips. Both arrived promptly and were plentiful. The chicken stack was huge. Two large breast fillets, a Leaning Tower of Pisa of onion rings and a vat of chips. My half-and-half ended up as just rice, which was fine by me, as the chips on my friend’s dish were more than enough for two of us. My chicken dish could have been hotter; I don’t mean it lacked spices, it just wasn’t heated enough, although it was well-cooked and actually very well spiced.

As we sat there, we both remarked how few people looked in the window of The Sun as they passed by: it’s as if the place is almost invisible to local people. What a shame. Eventually, someone we knew did glance in – and came in to join us for a drink; and to share our pudding of chocolate fudge cake with luscious ice cream and cream.

Seeing that two had now become three, the ever-friendly waiter brought us an extra-large portion and three spoons. We left, all having enjoyed a serendipitous afternoon in The Sun. Unfortunately, the building faces north, so we hadn’t spent an afternoon in the sun.

The food was tasty, plentiful and good value; and the service was excellent. Only the surroundings let this place down. I’m delighted it is to undergo a long-overdue renovation. The Sun deserves to shine once more.

Pros

  • Varied menu
  • Great for people watching
  • Centre of town
  • Friendly service

Cons

  • Lacks atmosphere
  • Bar area