8:33am Thursday 18th February 2010
By Lucy Whitfield
The Trotting Horse, Bushton, Clyffe Pypard, SN4 7PX.
(01793) 731338
We ended up on quite a round trip when faced with finding somewhere to eat with a toddler in tow: the first place we tried said they were fully booked (although there appeared to be free tables), and then the next two places we tried had big signs saying “No children in restaurant.”
We arrived at the Trotting Horse in Bushton starving hungry – and wished we’d tried it initially, so warm was the welcome.
Turning up on a Sunday, 15 minutes before the kitchen was due to close, shouldn’t have endeared us to the staff – but they bent over backwards to accommodate us and our rambunctious daughter. And we were extremely grateful.
It was too late for starters, so we went straight into a main course. Nick went for a roast – turkey in this case – which he said was beautifully done, and the vegetables nicely crisp without being underdone.
I had the vegetarian option of stuffed bell peppers with a mixed vegetable filling (celery, mushrooms, courgettes, more peppers) and melted cheese over the top. This was gorgeous – melted in the mouth, and had complex flavours, and a lovely tangy but not overpowering sauce.
Verity, two, chomped her way through garlic bread with cheese, and some peas from my plate – being too little to really do a children’s portion justice.
We washed it down with orange juice, and a pint of well-kept local ale.
Despite the fact we were now well-past the deadline for the kitchen to shut, the staff said that they’d stay open to do our dessert.
Verity was happy enough with a couple of scoops of chocolate ice-cream, smothered in butterscotch sauce, while I opted for home-made apple pie and cream. Sadly, while the pastry was nice and clearly home-made, the filling was a little floury and bland – and perhaps could have been livened up with a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Nick had a lemon sponge, soaked in a tangy but sweet lemon sauce, which was a good end to the meal.
The whole meal, including drinks, came to a very reasonable £29.85 – fantastically good value, and well worth the visit.
Large dining area.
Children welcome.
Vegetarian options available.
Locally sourced ales.
Large beer garden.
Pub games (darts, bar billiards, skittles, etc) available.
Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Gazette without prior knowledge of the owners.
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