Sampling
Barnsley's finest in the friendliest restaurant for miles around...
Don't
get me wrong. It's not that I don't like trying other places, it's
just that Leeds has a ridiculously great selection of food and drink,
so we rarely play away from home unless working away from home. If
you see what I mean.
However,
one of the things Leeds definitely lacks is a food that is
unmistakeably connected with it. There is no Leeds Cake, no Leeds
Sauce, no Leeds Pudding. The same cannot be said for Yorkshire
sibling Barnsley. Because, as everyone knows, Barnsley has the chop.
I have seen Barnsley chops on menus all over the place, usually a
butterfly 'double' lamb chop, occasionally served pink (in the South)
sometimes well done and crispy...
So,
when I was asked to sample The Brooklands Restaurant, I was somewhat
delighted to see that this renowned Barnsley eaterie featured a
mighty chop – in it's natural habitat so to speak.
We
arrived in good time – it's easy to get to and much quicker from
Leeds than I expected. But with a few minutes to kill we hung out in
the comfy bar and had a drink while we had a look at the menu.
The
locally-sourced Barnsley chop dominates the menu, which is pretty
varied, if a little meaty. The choice of several different steaks
caught my eye, and the Misses went for the chop – on the basis that
I would help her out if she got stumped.
There
were some interesting starters – I chose the king prawns with mango
salsa, while the Misses opted for the goat's cheese tartlet.
While
waiting we were really well looked after by the waiting and bar
staff. Drinks arrived quickly, the smiles were genuine and both gave
us their (different) opinions on the menu – they seemed
knowledgeable and really enthusiastic about the food. Always a good
sign.
Once
we were seated, we didn't have long to wait. The starters were tasty,
fresh and about right for size. My prawns were just spicy enough, and
the goat's cheese tartlet was warm and rich with good pastry.
But
the real star was still to come...
With a little flourish, the
Barnsley chop arrived. It looked superb – three full double chops
(about the size of a holiday paperback) with a whole boat of gravy,
roast parsnips and minted mash... My (actually pretty substantial)
steak looked a little sheepish. Unlike many recipes, this Barnsley
chop had been slow cooked for hours, then finished in a very hot oven, leaving the meat super tender and
unctuous. I could see it literally fall off the bone.
I
was just a bit jealous, but to be honest, the steak was great too –
well cooked (medium-rare) with a good little stack of twice-cooked
chips and garlic butter...
That
said, I have to say that I was delighted when the Misses threw in the
towel and passed her plate over to me. I tucked in with gusto – it
really was very good, dark meat, fragrant and soft, excellent crispy
finish and lashings of gravy... Crikey.
Pudding,
usually an afterthought, were pretty good too – I opted for the trio of
little chocolate puds and the Misses went for a chocolate brownie...Luckily they were compact.
Coffee
to finish and I was really rather replete.
The
Brooklands Restaurant is really very good. The staff are very friendly and attentive,
the food is excellent, it's locally sourced, well-cooked and as for
that Barnsley chop – well, it really is worth travelling for. From almost anywhere. Barnsley is
famous for this cut of lamb, and The Brooklands Restaurant should be famous for
this celebration of a Great British classic.
