Sunday Lunch Carvery At The Twin Oaks Hotel, Palterton, Chesterfield
Published On Tuesday 30 Aug 2022 by Sticky Beak
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It’ll come as no surprise when I say that none of The Flock could be bothered to cook in the ridiculous heat, but after a full-on day of decorating we were in need of sustenance. With it being a Sunday there really was no other choice than a good old Sunday Roast; well there is a choice, obvs, but for this gang only a roast/carvery was going to cut the proverbial mustard. The Man Bird got on t’interweb and soon got us booked in somewhere new: Twin Oaks at Palterton; I can’t tell you how many times we’ve driven past and said ‘Ooh, we must go there for a meal’! We finally made it, and here’s what I thought to it...
From J29 M1 it’s well sign-posted so we pulled into the ample car park with no problems whatsoever and walked up to the main entrance, past the soft Sage green doors of some of the accommodation (Twin Oaks is also a Hotel). We received a really warm welcome from the team at reception and they handed us into the care of one of the restaurant team straight away, who then escorted us to our table and took our drinks order.
Whilst Mummy Bird and I took in the beautiful surroundings, His Nibs went off to photograph the carvery counter whilst there was just Chef around. Modern, circular glass pendants provide a good level of light, although the restaurant benefits from a good level of natural light that the neutral tones of the decor enhance. The warmth of the caramel coloured flooring is echoed by the tables and complimented by the darker brown of the high-backed chairs. Twin Oaks is family friendly and all ages of children are catered for, with dinkier ones having highchairs to sit in at the table.
Hands down, this is the most well organised Carvery I’ve ever come across! Usually you are given a ticket, and then have to join a queue with other diners – which can be quite lengthy at some venues, as well as causing obstructions in walkways too – but not here. Tables are invited up to the counter individually and Chef carves the meat that each diner specifies as well as asking if you would like a Yorkshire Pudding and popping it on your plate at that point.
I should just say that you definitely need to take your appetite to the Twin Oaks’ carvery; if you wish you can have all four meats on offer for the same price of £11.50! Mummy had Beef and Lamb, I had Lamb and Turkey Breast (though I did ask Chef for some of the delicious Pork Crackling that was in a separate bowl – yum!), The Man had Beef, Lamb, Pork and Turkey aka The Full Meat Monty. You don’t just get a single slice of meat either, we had two or three slices of each meat; yes, you read that right...of EACH meat!
Between the three of us we had all the vegetable selection represented on our plates, and it’s a pretty good choice: Garden Peas, Carrots, Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese, Brussels Sprouts, Mashed Potato, and Herbed, Roast Potatoes –there were also stuffing balls for those that wanted them. A variety of sauces are on a table to the side of the carvery and (genius move, this, if you ask me) whilst we were up at the counter our lovely server, Megan, had brought out two gravy boats and placed them on our table; this is done at every table, which just makes the whole experience smoother. Clearly, Sprouts aren’t in season so they were frozen ones, but they weren’t soft and soggy and the other vegetables were skilfully cooked, too.
I would’ve liked the roasties to be a bit crisper on the outside (that is my own personal taste), but their herby coating was mouth-wateringly good. The mashed Potato was as smooth as glass with a gentle buttery hint that was very tasty, but it could’ve done with more seasoning; I do appreciate the fact that some folks have to watch their salt intake though, so for them this is the place to come. Other than these two minor points, the carvery represents superb value for money: the quality is there, and the quantity definitely is!
Check-backs were done at regular intervals by Megan and her colleagues, drinks were refreshed and plates cleared away efficiently, and it was all done with a smile. I have to say that, from the moment we’d stepped inside, all the staff we encountered at Twin Oaks were super friendly and very helpful.
Megan brought over the dessert board for us to look at and we chose Toblerone Cheesecake, Gingerbread Cheesecake and Rocky Road Sundae (Mummy, me and His Nibs, respectively); Mummy Bird and I had the choice of Ice Cream, Pouring Cream or Squirty Cream – the hot puddings also have the option of Custard. The desserts are equally as generous as the carvery, so we had to muster up all our determination to finish them!
Both cheesecakes had perfect bases, and by that I mean the type that remains intact when cut, but is easily cut into. Pieces of gooey Gingerbread decorated my choice and the cheesecake body itself had a gentle hint of Ginger to it that I really savoured; this was superb conclusion to my meal. Next to me, Mummy Bird was just as happy with her Toblerone version, and was even happier when she discovered that there were pieces of the chocolate bar within the body! More of the iconic, triangular Swiss treat sat proudly on the top of the indulgently creamy cheesecake. When Mummy Bird remarked how good it had been, as Megan cleared the plate away, Megan revealed that she had been the one to make it; not only an excellent server, but a top-notch cook!
The Man Bird’s Sundae was hitting the mark as well with its plentiful scoops of Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams arranged carefully in the tall sundae glass. Generously mingled in was a multitude of Chocolate Brownie chunks, mini Marshmallows and streams of seriously good Chocolate sauce. A gently golden wafer crowned it all and, in true chocoholic style, this was the last item to be eaten by His Nibs. We’d all succeeded in demolishing our desserts, though I will confess to helping Mummy out a bit – I know, it’s a tough life sometimes!
So full were our tummies, we didn’t have room for our usual coffees; definitely not like us, as you all know! Hot Wings happily awarded to this local team; there was everything you could want from a venue: service, quality and value for money.
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