Back For Dinner At The Red Lion At The Peak Edge Hotel
Published On Sunday 11 Dec 2022 by Sticky Beak
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As regular readers (and presumably, therefore, fellow food enthusiasts!) you will perhaps have realised that these are turbulent times in our wonderful Food, Beverage and Hospitality industries. Indeed, many venues have changed Chefs, Management and PR teams on a more-frequently-than-they-would-like basis. The Sticky Beak Blog generally doesn’t revisit a venue less than 6 months (usually it’s annually) from previous visits, but we do make exceptions for changing Chefs/Ownership/major refurbishment. There have been some switch-ups at The Red Lion Restaurant at The Peak Edge Hotel in Stonedge; a new Chef (Ben Peverall, formerly of The Cow at Dalbury Lees)and new PR (the beautiful, talented Dawn-Elizabeth Rudd), so when Dawn invited us back, we jumped at the chance.
This stunning venue always looks wonderful from the road at any time of day and whatever season, but even so I did a little gasp of delight when I spied the twinkling lights in the trees as we were approaching; the team have really gone all out for the Festive season, it seems! Having parked the jalopy up and walked up the steps to the entrance, our journey continued with the roaring log burners casting welcome heat and inviting ambience.
Several couples were taking advantage of the atmosphere as they sat in some of the comfy seats in the bar/ lobby area, and I spied the most glorious Christmas Tree in the corner looking resplendent in shades of red that contrasted with its lush branches beautifully. This is a perfect spot to enjoy pre- or post-prandial drinks or just to relax after a day out exploring our wonderful Peak District Park and/or Chatsworth House, which is only 10 minutes down the road.
The Man and I were greeted warmly and taken past a breath-taking seasonal garland and through into the Red Lion restaurant itself. Last time we came it was a wonderful space, but with extra twinkling lights and decorations strewn stylishly around, it looked even more spectacular. There was already a gentle bubble of conversation from other diners in the restaurant and music was playing at a suitably social level in the background. One of the smartly attired team came and took our drinks order and another brought over some homemade bread and whipped butter for us to enjoy; we were offered water for the table without needing to ask, which I always appreciate.
Rather than go for the festive menu for dinner, we opted for the winter a la carte one; our reasoning being that it would be relevant for longer on the blog. Having said that, there are some proper corking offerings for those that wish to immerse themselves in Christmas before the day actually arrives: Christmas Party nights, gourmet dinners, festive Afternoon Tea on Saturday 17th December (£30 pp and pre-bookable only) and festive lunches Noon-3pm, Monday-Friday in December (2 courses £32, 3 courses £38 pp). And of course you can always stay in the magnificent accommodation where a good nights’ slumber can be had on a Hypnos mattress.....ooooh that sounds fab, doesn’t it?!
If you fancy enjoying Christmas Day lunch with the family (or with friends, who are, let’s face it, non-blood family), then there are two splendid options to choose from: the Oak Room where lunch is served promptly at 1pm, or in the Red Lion restaurant, where food is served between Noon-3pm. The Oak room choice is priced at £120 per adult, with under-12’s having their own 3 course menu at £35 per child, and dinky’s under 3 years eat complimentary.
The Red Lion menu is priced at £150 per adult, with other pricing being the same as the Oak Room. Boxing Day has a different menu, served Midday-3.30pm, which costs £75 per adult and children’s prices the same as before. We all appreciate that the focus of Christmas is the younger members of the family so, once the day has passed, why not turn that spotlight on you, leave the littles with sitters or relatives and head for the New Years Eve 8 course tasting menu in the Red Lion Restaurant, priced at £90pp, with an optional wine flight at £45 each also available. Go on, you’re worth it.
There are no less than 8 (yes, I counted them!) menus to work your way through at The Red Lion currently: Festive Afternoon Tea, Festive Lunch, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sunday Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Wine/Drink !!
Anyhow, I digress (not the first time it’s happened!), so let me tell you about our starters; I went for Wild Mushroom Risotto (£12) and The Man had the Slow-Cooked Pork with Crispy Potato, Confit Kohlrabi, Ponzu Sunflower Seeds and Sage and Apple Purée (£9.50).
My risotto came in a striking black bowl, so the wow factor was there from the get-go but, oh, that first mouthful had me swooning in ecstasy! The Oyster and Chestnut mushrooms had been chopped fairly coarsely to provide a good wallop of texture and they had absorbed the seasoned stock into their bodies, so when they hit my taste buds it was incredibly flavoursome. It goes without saying that Chef had cooked the risotto rice perfectly al-dente to preserve that satisfying hint of bite and release the grain’s gentle creaminess.
Carrying on the indulgent creamy theme were the pair of pale slices of Baron Bigod, a British, Brie-de-Meaux style cheese made in the traditional way at Fen Farm Dairy (the only place currently in the UK to do it). My tongue was revelling in the earthy, creamy, mellow flavours that were washing over it, but before my palate could drift off, the clean, bright notes of the fresh baby Basil bounded over like an exuberant puppy! This was a marvellous start to my meal.
The Man Bird’s slow-cooked Pork morsel was just as beautiful in its presentation, the meat topped with an impossibly thin, intricate mandala-esque disc of golden Potato. Chef Peverall’s efforts were gone in an instant – you all know what a spudophile His Nibs is! Symmetry was clearly important in this dish because the Pork had a fine line of Apple and Sage purée marking its circumference and discs of Ponzu Sunflower seed decorated, confit Kohlrabi fanning out around it all. A scattering of fresh micro-herbs and a dark jus completed the ensemble so, having taken a moment to appreciate the beauty (minus crispy Potato!), The Man tucked in. The mild sweetness of the Kohlrabi complimented the deeper notes of the superbly tender, moist shreds of Pork perfectly and then you got the sharper Apple and herby Sage elements adding their layers of taste. Stimulating the senses were the crunchy, nutty tasting Sunflower seeds that injected some welcome texture to the otherwise smooth dish. If flavour is what you crave, then this is the starter for you!
One of the serving team came to clear away our plates and laid steak knives for us both in readiness for our main courses; they’d previously laid a spoon for my Risotto course. Whilst we’d been eating our starters, several team members came to check that we were enjoying our evening and discreetly checked that our water glasses were still full enough.
His Nibs had Loin of Derbyshire Venison, Haunch Cottage Pie, Salt Baked Carrot, Pickled Red Cabbage Jelly and Beef Fat Crumb (£35) for his main, I had the oven Roasted Pheasant, Creamy Mash, Walton Lodge Honey Parsnips, Pancetta and Game Jus (£29) for mine. We added Truffle and Parmesan Chips and Wilted Seasonal Greens (both £6) as sides, but it turned out we didn’t need the sides; the portions were more than adequate!
Venison has an amazingly rich flavour to it and a dense texture that satisfies the heartiest appetite. Having said that, the loin was incredibly tender; so much so that, as an experiment, His Nibs used his fork to cut it...and was successful! A luscious, come-hither pink centre feathered out to nut brown and there was no blood oozing onto the plate, much to The Man’s relief – he doesn’t do rare steaks for that reason, having had a bad experience in his younger years.
The haunch meat was fashioned into a miniature Cottage Pie that came in its own pot and if The Man thought the loin was flavoursome, then this took things to a whole new taste level!! More intense meats can hold up against equally robust flavours paired with them and the Venison was able to match the face-scrunching tartness of the Pickled Red Cabbage Jelly. Adding this umami element lifted things superbly on the palate, keeping it on its toes, so to speak! Salt Baking essentially creates a crust around whatever is within it and the chosen item (meat, fish or, in this case, vegetable) cooks evenly in the steam its water content creates; an added bonus is that the Carrots were seasoned nicely whilst cooking and had a moreish tenderness.
A big bowlful of golden chips, zhuzhed up with intense Truffle and pungent, finely grated Parmesan, got intermittently munched on and His Nibs liked their crisp outers’ textural edge (as well as their flavour!). He also pinched a bit of my Mange Tout, Tenderstem Broccoli and finely shredded Savoy Cabbage, all of which were beautifully crunchy and bursting with their at-peak flavour. Although we didn’t need the sides, I was glad to add their colour and flavours to my meal.
Now maybe I’m being a bit naive here but, when I ordered the Oven Roasted Pheasant, I was expecting a single breast; is it just me, or would you all have assumed that, too? Put it this way; when I spied the entire (i.e. both breasts) underside of game-bird on my plate, my jaw hit the floor!! I absolutely adore Pheasant, so I girded my loins and set-to with the task of eating it all. Underneath the char-mottled skin was succulent, ridiculously tender flesh that easily sliced away from the keel bone, where it was pink but definitely cooked. Sweet and flavoursome, the protein-rich meat (which is deeper than Chicken but not as earthy and gamey as Duck) melted in my mouth. Chef Ben Peverall’s ears would have been red-hot, burning with the praise I was heaping on his skills!
Glass-smooth, garlic infused mash and comfortingly soft, honey bathed Carrots danced wonderfully alongside the Pheasant, and for a dash of texture there were super-crisp strips of Pancetta to savour. The concentrated flavours of the Game Jus elevated the whole meal into something a touch above and, although it really wasn’t necessary, provided some extra moisture to the dish.
Don’t ask me how I managed pudding after the gargantuan main course I’d just had, but I did! However, I will admit that I went for the relatively uncomplicated choice of Apple Tart Tatin with Tonka Bean and Cardamom Ice Cream (£10); The Man went all-in with his selection of the Trio of Chocolate: White Chocolate and Cardamom Cream, Brown Sugar Sable, Milk Chocolate Sorbet, and Salted Caramel (also £10).
The undermost layer of my sweet course was brown sugar, atop which sat a precise circle of indulgently buttery pastry that was itself crowned with what I can only describe as a tightly coiled fruit equivalent of Mille-Feuille! A single, small quenelle of Ice Cream completed the presentation, melting slowly on the warmed apple. Those of you that are parents will appreciate it when I say that the Apple had been fashioned into something akin to ‘Fruit Winders’ (a lot better in quality and taste though, obviously, Chef!).
In contrast to the softness of the pastry, the ultra-fine Apple was crisp and crunchy in my mouth, with a pleasantly sharp edge to its taste. I took it upon myself to unravel the Apple ‘wheel’ and eat it like fruit tagliatelle! It probably wasn’t designed to be, but this was an incredibly fun pudding to conclude my meal with. Oh, I should perhaps say that it was jolly scrummy, too! To off-set the Apples’ inherent tartness , the soft, rounded Tonka Bean and fragrant Cardamom Ice Cream was an inspired choice – bravo, Chef!
If my dessert had been classically restrained, a la Audrey Hepburn, in its appearance, then The Mans choice was more eye-catching; dare I say Kardashian? Dots of the Salted Caramel and White Chocolate and Cardamom Cream were arranged alternately on the front edge of the thin, St. Tropez-bronze Sable, decorated with verdant, baby Lemon Balm leaves, whose citrusy aroma took us back to the warmth of summer (wishful thinking on the frosty night we were actually having!).
A pair of Giraffe patterned Chocolate shards caught the eye and peeping out between these ‘twin towers’ was a quenelle of cocoa hued Milk Chocolate Sorbet. There was an exquisite balance of sweet and salt in this dessert from the Salted Caramel and White Chocolate and Cardamom Cream, softness from the silky Sorbet and buttery Sable, and crunchy from the nicely tempered Chocolate Shards. Another triumph from Chef Ben Peverall and his talented team.
Throughout our meal, The Red Lion Restaurant team at the Peak Edge Hotel had ensured that we wanted for nothing and had taken the utmost care to secure our happiness with our whole experience. Whilst this was undoubtedly top-notch service standards, there was nothing stuffy or forced about it – something quite rare and definitely to be treasured.
After finishing off with our usual black coffees, it was time to step back out into the night, but my coat (brought out to me from the cloakroom by a lovely young lady) ensured I didn’t get too chilled. We thanked the team as we left, and I want to also say thank you again to Dawn for her kind invitation to dine at The Red Lion Restaurant at Stonedge.
Hot Wings unreservedly awarded to this fantastic team! For more details on the Festive Offerings or the year-round menu then head to the website www.peakedgehotel.co.uk where you can scroll down and book a table online, or give them a call on 01246 566142.
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