Out For Dinner At The Market Pub In Chesterfield
Published On Thursday 29 Sep 2022 by Sticky Beak
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Mission: Decoration still continues; to be honest I think it’s going to be like that bridge that gets painted almost continuously, we’ll just get finished then it’ll need to begin again! Anyhow, Fledge had gone to a car meet so Mummy Bird, His Nibs and I were booked in to The Market Pub in Chesterfield for a well-earned dinner on Bank Holiday Monday, which coincided with their ‘Festival of Lobster’. You all know what a big fan I am of seafood, so I was looking forward to filling my belly with Lobster, Prawns, Mussels etc.
We parked nearby and had a slow poddle over as we were a bit ahead of time; traffic hadn’t been as heavy as we’d thought it might be. The Market Pub has a lovely kerb appeal, but when you walk inside you appreciate the age and character of this old building, which mercifully hasn’t been hacked about.It’s quite atmospheric, lighting-wise, but not so much that you can’t see what you’re doing, more in a cosy way.
We were shown straight to our table and the drinks order was taken immediately. We looked through the menu deciding what we fancied (I was pretty much settled on the Seafood special) and it di d take a bit longer for someone to take our food order. In fairness though, we had turned up a little ahead of time and there were a couple of large groups in, so had we been bang on time we wouldn’t have waited I don’t think. When the lovely chap came over to take our order His Nibs’ first blunder was revealed and, yes, there was another to come, later! You had to pre-order the Seafood Special which meant I was out-of-luck on that front, so I opted for the Crispy Tempura King Prawns (£7.50), followed by the Shawarma Chicken Wrap (£14.50). The Man Bird had Tempura Chicken Goujons (£7.50) with Lambarama as his main (£15.50), and Mummy Bird skipped a starter, having the Homemade Steak and Stilton Pie with homemade Chips, Fresh Vegetables and homemade Gravy (£14.50) as her main.
Our table was situated with a great view of the kitchen, and what a dinky kitchen it is!! It was as though the Chefs were doing a graceful, fluid, never ending dance around each other and each had a role to perform so they never jarred against each other – honestly, it was superb to see them in action. I also liked the fact that the Chefs came out to serve diners if the other team members were already busy. We didn’t have long to wait until our starters came out and we tucked in with our usual enthusiasm.
On my platter was a quartet of plump, juicy Prawns and I cut into the crispy batter to get to their sweet, succulent flesh. The batter wasn’t strictly what I would consider to be that gorgeous, gossamer-thin Tempura variety, but it was certainly lighter than your average batter and had a superb crunch to it and no oiliness at all. There was pot of tangy dipping sauce that I made very good use of to bathe my King Prawn morsels in, enjoying the heat that came with it. Also on my plate was a nice mixed leaf salad with julienned Carrot in it that had been lightly tossed in a Lime and Chilli dressing. This was a really tasty starter; one that I’d happily have again.
The Man Bird was just as chuffed with his Tempura Chicken Goujons, remarking on their ample proportion. Inside the same batter as on my plate were thick strips of Chicken breast meat that had retained all their natural juiciness and gentle taste, which went beautifully with the Sweet Chilli dipping sauce’s kick. There was also a side salad with this dish and I was half expecting The Man to pass it across to me (you all know what a salad-dodger he is!) but no, he scoffed it all; I tell you, there will soon be nothing that I get passed – I’ll fade away!!!
Felix, our server (who is such a polite young lad), had come to check we were happy with our meals and was happy to see a pair of super-clean plates when he came to clear them away. Shortly before our mains arrived, Felix came and laid fresh cutlery and napkins for us and then came back bearing plates of piping hot, freshly cooked food for us to enjoy.
Mummy Bird’s eyes light up when she spied her pie and, to be fair, it did look rather scrummy; it also looked as if she was going to have her work cut out to finish it! I kid you not, the pie top was touching the meat filling, there was that much of it. Thankfully it was as tasty as it was plentiful, the tender chunks of steak melting on Mummy’s tongue, along with the wonderfully rich homemade pastry that contained it all. A pleasing tang of Stilton was clearly discernible on the palate, accompanying, rather than dominating, the steaks’ flavour, adding a beautiful creaminess to the dish. The vegetables (Carrots, Cauliflower and Cabbage) were all cooked to perfection, bringing a great hint of crunch to the meal as well as their yummy tastes. You can have mushy peas instead of the vegetables if you prefer and have creamy mash in place of the homemade Chips that Mummy had opted for. Personally, having pinched one of the chips, I’d go for these stunners every time, they were magnificent; golden outers concealed cloud-soft inners that had a taste and comfort factor of 11/10!!
His Nibs was chowing down on his Lambarama flatbread number like it was going out of fashion! The multitude of spices in the Ras El Hanout used to flavour the slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder had his taste buds in overdrive, doing cartwheels of happiness as the tastes flooded over them. The meat was wonderfully soft in the mouth and its own moistness was added to by a kicking Harissa-pimped Mayo; shy and retiring this dish certainly ain’t! Salt and Black Pepper skinny fries were the perfect partner to this great dish, their crunch being very welcome in the mouth.
I had also gone for a similar Middle Eastern/North African flavour profile with my choice of Shawarma Chicken wrap; we both like robust spices and so I felt confident that I would like this dish. There certainly was no shortage of taste or texture here; the Chicken breast meat was lovely and soft, contrasted by the crunchy Red Cabbage and Carrot in the wrap, all snuggly wrapped in a coating of minted Yoghurt. No-one will ever beat Jacqui (of Olive fame) and her Shawarma recipe but then she has lived in Morocco!, but this certainly wasn’t a shabby cousin by any mark. I had upgraded from plain fries to Rosemary and Garlic ones, and believe me, it was a decision that paid off handsomely – these morsels were superb.
Felix had being giving us excellent customer care, checking back, asking if we’d like more drinks and having a bit of banter with us. When he cleared our plates away he asked if we’d like to see the dessert menu, adding that they’re all homemade (except the vegan chocolate cake and the cheese selection); given how much we’d enjoyed the homemade dishes so far, it was pretty much a given that we’d have a sweet treat to complete our meals!
No surprise when I tell you that The Man Bird had Sticky Toffee Pudding; I chose the KitKat Cheesecake and Mummy plumped for the Apple Crumble served with creamy Custard, and all desserts were priced at £7. Both His Nibs and I got generous wedges of cheesecake and Toffee Pudding, and Mummy Bird had two pots of yumminess: one housed the Apple Crumble, the other contained the Custard.
My cheesecake was possibly the best cheesecake in the world, it was just glorious! The base was the perfect firmness (which put me in a great mood straight off the blocks), but it was the thick, gooey caramel top that had me giddy with delight; it was indulgent, rich and totally moreish. Add in the malty body with its silkiness that clung to the tongue and cheeks and you can see why I was so enamoured with this gem. Three fingers of KitKat decorated the cheesecake and another had been crumbled and scattered on the plate (that got hovered up at the end!), with a scoop of good quality, actually tasting of- caramel Ice Cream providing the final flourish to this magnificent dessert.
As you all know, His Nibs’ favourite sweet is Sticky Toffee Pudding; it’s very rare that he doesn’t have it if we see it on a menu. The one served at The Market Pub in Chesterfield passes muster, I’m pleased to say, with its rich, dark sponge body that rolls over the palate and lingers nicely, letting you commit its beauty to memory.
Apple Pie, though regarded as simple, is amazing when done well and Chef certainly did a good job here. You have to give it a swirl around and leave it for a few minutes if you don’t fancy stripping your tongue’s surface, because it comes out piping, piping hot! The apple (of which there was plenty) isn’t overly sweetened either so you get its full, unadulterated character coming through, which means that the addition of sweeter crumble toppings doesn’t detract from its flavour. Chef got the balance of fruit and crumble spot-on too, so there was enough to add texture but not so much as to dry out the pudding. Mummy loved the fact that the custard came in a separate pot; it meant she could add as much as she wanted, or as little.... no, you’re right, it was a lot!!
Having finished our meal it was time to pay the bill, and this is where His Nibs’ second gaff was revealed! Having gone up to the bar to settle up, he produced his credit card, only to be told that The Market Pub is a cash-only venue. Thankfully he’d got enough cash to pay, but it would’ve been funny if he’d had to do a walk of shame to the nearest cash point - Mummy and I wouldn’t have minded staying a while longer to have a coffee or even another glass of wine!
It had been a very enjoyable Bank Holiday meal at The Market Pub, and it was great to see a venue being so well supported by couples, friends, groups and families with children; Chesterfield folk definitely #supportlocal. Hot Wings happily awarded here.
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