Last updated at 15:44, Friday, 15 April 2011

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REVIEW: The Derby Arms, Witherslack

AFTER suffering years of decline extensive renovation has restored The Derby Arms to a traditional country pub.

The Ainscough Family, responsible for its new lease of life, have cleverly applied the shabby chic approach to the interior bar and adjoining restaurant rooms, giving it a comfortably lived-in feel.

Exposed floorboards covered with Persian rugs and framed landscapes on the walls lend it a well-worn charm and its high ceilings and large rooms suggest genteel, rather than cosy.

We chose the Derby Arms for a family get-together, equidistant as it is between Barrow and Garstang, and were pleasantly surprised to find a number of other tables occupied on what we presumed would be a quiet Monday evening.

Our reserved table was in the dining room, next to a substantial stone fireplace, a fire burning in the hearth, and facing the bar with a huge sideboard displaying china and figurines covering the side wall.

Lit candles at every table gave the restaurant a welcoming glow.

Our round table was one of several scrubbed wooden tables surrounded by mismatched-chairs covered in plump cushions.

It turns out Monday night is steak night, a great value deal of two rump steaks and bottle of wine for £25.

But factoring in the drive home we turned our attention to the dining menu and specials board.

The six starters included hot and cold dishes, plus vegetarian options.

Each dish sounded delicious so we based our choices on those which were easiest to share and went for the Derby Arms’ own take on potted shrimps and the pubs own paté.

It’s a brave chef who tinkers with the renowned Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, but the Derby Arms’ potted shellfish didn’t suffer in comparison.

Served in a ramekin as a hot delicacy to spread on lightly toasted bread the potted shellfish consisted of Morecambe Bay shrimps with a twist of crayfish tails packed in spiced butter.

Accompanied by a good mixed salad in dressing, this was a starter made for sharing.

The Derby Arms homemade duck and chicken liver pate melted in the mouth, without any of the bitterness you might associate with liver.

Even spread liberally, the two slices of organic bread couldn’t accommodate all the paté but accompanied with the mixed salad and homemade apple and date chutney made this more than enough to share.

The starters were faultless; packed full of flavour and attractively presented, so we had high hopes for the mains.

We ordered two mains off the restaurant menu and a dish off the special board plus two glasses of sparkling water and a glass of Witherslack juice.

Despite costing the same as a glass of wine, the juice was as fresh as you could get – literally the pulp of pressed apples in a glass. The posh fish and chips was a huge fillet of Fleetwood haddock with a Jolly Boys batter. It came with a portion of chunky chips, homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas.

The fish was delicious, the batter crisp and the chips fluffy, but the dish was slightly let down by the dry mushy peas. Also from the restaurant menu we ordered a trio of local sausages on creamed potato with a red onion marmalade, steamed vegetables and a Kingstone Press cider gravy.

The sausages were very gamey and with the other components made this quite a stodgy dish. My pan-fried seabass fillet from the special board was the best of the three. The grilled fillet was served with a dressing of sun-blushed tomatoes, crayfish tails and capers with new potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables.

The service throughout was pleasant and attentive, although next time I’m choosing a selection of starters.

First published at 13:12, Friday, 15 April 2011
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk