Sunday Lunch At The Yeaveley Arms, Yeaveley Near Ashbourne
Published On Sunday 5 Feb 2023 by Sticky Beak
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The last time we visited the picturesque village of Yeaveley to dine at the Yeaveley Arms one evening was pre-pandemic, so we were delighted to be invited back by owner, Rob Parker. His Nibs drove the jalopy on what can only be described as a proper ‘out in ’t wilds of the ‘Shire’ journey, down some single-track roads and through some beautiful countryside. When the weather is nice, as it was on this particular Sunday, there’s nothing better than a drive through the beauty of our wonderful county of Derbyshire, so I wasn’t about to point out the fact that we could’ve taken an easier route (the one we took on the return home!).
For a small village pub, the Yeaveley Arms actually has plenty of parking; enough, even, for a pair of Giraffes: Gerry, and her baby!! Obviously I’m not talking about real Giraffes, although how brilliantly bonkers would that be?!; the animals in question are striking outdoor ornaments that are housed temporarily at the gastropub. There is clearly a story behind this caper, but I’ll leave it to Rob to regale you with the details when you pop in for a drink and something to eat.
Speaking of Rob, he is what can only be described as a quintessential English gentleman: polite beyond words, super smart in his appearance and with charm to burn. It isn’t a stretch to say that his attention to detail and high standards in his own appearance extends to his staff’s appearance and the quality of his food and drink. Without fail, the beer lines are religiously cleaned and maintained – no chance of a dodgy pint here! Which reminds me, I should just mention that the Yeaveley Arms has just won the ‘Pub of the Winter Season 2022/23’ award from CamRA (Campaign for Real Ale) for Ashbourne and Local District. Congratulations, Rob.
There’s a marvellous selection of other tipples on offer at the Yeaveley Arms, too: lagers and ciders, all shades of wine and an eye-popping number of Gins, Rums and Whiskies (100+ choices just in these three sprits alone!). Yeaveley is just 4 miles from Ashbourne, so it’s very popular with walkers and cyclists, tourists and locals alike; just as well your bar is so well stocked, Rob! Dogs are welcome in the bar area, so they can have a bowl of cool water after being exercised, too.
Mummy Bird and I had a glass of Malbec to go with our meal and The Man opted for a pint of ABK Pilsner. With our drinks sorted, Rob showed us to our table at the far end of the Pear Tree Restaurant and we settled in to study the Sunday Roast menu. As soon as you walk through the door to the Yeaveley Arms a sense of warmth and welcome floods over you, and going down the steps to the restaurant enhances this feeling of relaxation, thanks to the very clever décor.
The Pear Tree restaurant at Yeaveley Arms is modern and stylish yet cosy and warm, thanks to the abundance of natural elements such as exposed brickwork and wooden floors. Keeping the natural touch going are sophisticated panels of textural wood that diffuse the wall lights, thereby creating a soft glow. Nature is further brought inside by the posies of fresh flowers that provide a focal point on each chunky, solid wood table. The high back chairs and curtains are all in muted tones, whether that be plum, moss, burgundy, walnut or stormy greys, again keeping the relaxed vibe at the forefront of diners’ experience.
To kick off, I ordered the Atlantic Prawn Salad with Marie Rose sauce (£7.50), Mummy had the Creamy Garlic Mushrooms on Toast (£7.50) and The Man opted for the gluten free choice of Breaded Lemon Sole Bites with Tartare Sauce (£8.50). We’d seen some starters go out to an adjacent table of a large family group (including children) and they did look beautiful; one thing I would say is that Rob’s starters are on the generous side so allow for this if you’re planning on having pudding afterwards!
Our dishes soon arrived, and we all tucked in heartily. My prawns were plump and juicy, bound in that gorgeously pastel sauce that has a distinct tang to its periphery, and my taste buds danced in delight as it hit them. Given the cost of fish and seafood at the moment, I was certainly taken aback at the amount I had on my plate – not that I’m complaining! A simple, classic garnish of wholemeal bread and butter, along with a side salad of mixed leaves, Cucumber and Tomato, were all that was needed for this marvellous starter. Everything was crisp and fresh, so I had taste and texture galore to enjoy.
Mummy Bird absolutely loves Garlic Mushrooms and often has them, so when she exclaimed that these were the best she’s had, I sat up and took notice. Claiming off-spring privilege, I dibbed some Mushrooms off her plate, eager to try them for myself and see if they really were ‘all that’. I shan’t prolong the suspense (I’m not subtle enough for that!); they were blooming excellent! A rich creamy sauce bathed all the sliced, earthy fungi, swathing them in its velvety cloak and then the unmistakeable note of Garlic softly kissed the palate. Everything worked in balance and, so clever and considered was this simple starter, the choice of malted grain, toasted bread added another layer of depth to the flavour profile. Mixed leaves added a nice garnish as well as a pop of colour that contrasted against the deeper tones of the Mushrooms.
The Man Bird surprised me with his choice of Lemon Sole Bites (especially given that pâte was also on the menu) and when they arrived, I did feel a slight pang of jealousy, I’ll admit. There were five substantial rounds of Lemon Sole underneath a St Tropez golden hued, crispy outer and, as His Nibs bit into one, a beautiful crunch was elicited. Not a trace of oiliness tainted the delicate flavour of the fish, so The Mans’ taste buds got the full splendour of its mild sweetness, as Chef no doubt intended. To provide some zhuzh, a chunky homemade Tartare sauce waded in, its iconic tangy flavour hitting the palate with no preamble whatsoever.
Our lovely server had checked back that we were enjoying our starters, and came back to clear away a trio of spotlessly clean plates when we laid our cutlery down. Whilst he was at our table, the young gent asked if we wanted any other drinks or water for the table, which was thoughtful of him.
One of the things I like about the Yeaveley Arms is that you don’t have to partake of a traditional Sunday roast if you don’t want to; there are other options available, such as the Beef Steak and Ale Pie with House Chips, Peas and Gravy (£12.95) that Mummy Bird fancied. Vegans can enjoy a scrummy sounding Beetroot Wellington with Roast Potatoes and Vegetables (£12.95), or if you simply want a plate of vegetables, you can do so for £8. The Man went for his perennial favourite of roasted Topside of Derbyshire Beef, Yorkshire Pud and Pan Gravy (£15.95), and I chose the Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Apricot Stuffing and Bramley Apple Sauce (also £15.95).
Rob serves his Sunday roasts with roasties, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Red Cabbage, Parsnips, Carrots and Peas and from seeing other meals go out, we knew that our bellies were going to be somewhat larger – good job I’d gone for an elasticated waistband; with experience comes wisdom!
Now, I am known for being a glutton but, even, so, I was gob-smacked when I saw the size of my Pork Belly. I think I’d been served with half a pig, just about! Clearly my face betrayed my panic, which set Mummy Bird and His Nibs off into peals of laughter as a smart remark of ”Good Luck” issuing from my (allegedly supportive) husbands’ lips.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, I girded my loins and took my first mouthful of Pork Belly, which was impossibly soft, moist and creamy; so much so that I swear I could hear the sighs of contentment coming from my taste buds! This was seriously good meat and Chef had done a top-notch of slow roasting it to preserve the meats’ texture whilst creating a lovely, crunchy skin – you can’t beat a bit of crackling. Pork and Apple are a match made in heaven and the fruits’ sharpness came through brilliantly in this (thankfully) unsweetened accompaniment; the sweeter edge was left to the Apricot pieces that were visible in the ball of stuffing that nestled beside the Pork wedge.
Equally superb were the tender slices of medium-rare Beef Topside that His Nibs was happily tucking into; their flavour was wonderfully deep and rich, caressing The Mans’ palate as the meat’s fibres melted on his tongue. I snaffled the fragrant Parsnips from Chappy’s plate, smiling as their squidgy flesh yielded to my bite and then began to turn my attention to the massive Yorkshire Pudding that stood proudly to attention. I have waxed lyrical in the past about Mummy Birds’ prowess when making Yorkies, and I was glad that she was sat beside me so she could sample what was her versions’ equal – which she agreed they were.
You can’t beat a perfectly crisp-outered roastie and the ones at the Yeaveley Arms are the bomb -props to Chef! The Dauphinoise Potatoes were majestic here, and had us swooning; a slim, golden crust revealed layers of nicely softened, garlic-and-cream-pimped Potato that epitomised indulgent comfort-food at its finest!
Everyone raved about the spice-infused shreds of Red Cabbage, and even the cooked-to-al-dente-perfection Carrot Batons and Peas are mentionably sweet. Our roasts were otherworldly marvellous and we both wished that the DeLorean could be summoned so that we could savour them again and again!
No less generous was the size of Mummy Birds’ slice of homemade pie; from where I was seated I could easily see the size of the Beef Steak pieces contained within the shortcrust pastry. There’s melt-in-the-mouth when it comes to meat, and then there’s this total minx. Simply unbelievable is all I can say - you really do need to sample it for yourself to get what I mean! Within the rich pie gravy was an unmistakeable tang of real ale that added a beautiful rich layer of flavour to this pie; not that it was short in the flavour stakes in any way, shape or form. Even the pastry was stupidly good. It was ‘proper’, fat-rich short pastry of the ilk that your granny used to make, melting from the tongues’ warmth in an instant, leaving behind the silky touch of its butter content. The House Chips at Yeaveley Arms have to be eaten to be believed as well; honestly, this venue has.got.it.all! You ain’t gonna get tastier, crispier, crunchier chips than these in the ‘Shire, trust me… and we’ve scoffed numerous varieties in our blogging endeavours!
After polishing off the mains you can imagine how full our tummies were, but there was not a chance that we were skipping pudding (all of which are priced at £5.75). I’d got my beady eyes on the Apple and mixed Berry Crumble, but previous diners had scoffed it all – cheeky! Instead, I went for Orange and Lemon Tart with Whipped Cream, leaving Him Indoors to have the Rich Dark Chocolate Mousse in a Teacup (cute or what?) and Mummy Bird requested a single scoop of Honeycomb Ice Cream; bless her, she really hadn’t got room for anything sweet, but didn’t want to miss out!
Mummy Bird gamely ploughed on through her Honeycomb Ice Cream, though I did catch her throwing a sly glance in both mine and The Mans’ direction at our desserts. Not a chance, Mummy, not a chance! In the end, the silkiness and richness of the Ice Cream satisfied her sweet tooth without weighing her down, and Mummy did comment on the delicate sweet edge the Honeycomb provided on her palate.
My tart was exquisitely presented, the pair of slices arranged at jaunty angles to one another, and jewel bright, fresh Raspberries and a sprig of verdant Mint added to the visual impact of this dessert offering. By now it will come as no surprise when I say that the flavour of my choice matched its presentational beauty, but this treat had another feather in its cap: the tart filling had a subtle two-tone layer to it. The pastry case was light and buttery, complimented by the citrus fruits’ brighter taste – both of which came through clearly (and distinctly from each other) in my mouth. What a finale to a magnificent meal is all I can say!
The Man Bird was grinning wildly as he spooned mouthful after mouthful of the wickedly dark, cocoa-rich mousse into his mouth. Somewhere deep within his brain, the pleasure centre was lighting up like a pinball machine; for those who consider themselves dessert hedonists, this is for you! Given the sheer magnitude of indulgence in this treat, you would be forgiven for thinking that it would lay heavy on your tummy at the end of a meal, but let me swoop in like an angel of deliverance and reassure you that this is categorically not the case. I don’t know how Chef has done it (short of some alchemical wizardry!), but the mousse is dense enough to command respect, yet light enough not to be heavy or claggy. Sheer genius; and very clever to present it in a dainty china teacup, too.
As ever, our servers had checked that we were enjoying our food (although I suspect they only needed to look at our faces for the answer, rather than come over!) and, from start to finish, had ensured that we had a fantastic experience at the Yeaveley Arms. I don’t mind admitting that I feel a real ninny for having left it so long between visits to this total treasure of a gastro pub; rest assured, it’s a mistake that won’t be repeated.
Currently, the Yeaveley Arms is closed Monday-Wednesday, open for drinks only from 5.30pm on Thursday, and offers lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday: Noon-3pm, then from 5.30pm. On Sunday there is breakfast from 9.30-11am (you can even pre-order a newspaper to purchase and settle in to read it!) and Sunday Roast to savour Noon-4pm.
Hot Wings unreservedly awarded to Rob and his team at the Yeaveley Arms; my only regret is that I can’t award them in multiples because, for the price you pay, the quality and quantity of the food and drink, the Sunday Roast here is unrivalled, in my opinion!
To book a table give Rob a ring on 01335 330700. Also, give their Facebook page a visit to get the latest news of Classic Car Meets, extended opening times, Quiz nights (there’s two; one costs £8 with light supper included, the other is FOC) and the ‘Theme’ evenings that will be running alternate months from March. Oh, and there’s a community ‘Pop-Up Café’ on the first Saturday of each month that serves Teas, Coffees and Bacon Butties (yum!). Just down the lane from the Yeaveley Arms is the Yeaveley Estate where you can do Clay Shooting, Archery, and even Axe throwing (!), so why not grab one of their log cabins for your stag/hen/corporate shin-dig and partake in one of the activities…then head to Rob’s for some quality nosh!
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