Ambling round the Honeycomb area, I came acress the Biddestone Arms. Since there’s good parking there, a rarity in the village, I stopped by for a pint and a meal. It seemed to me there was a great collection of regulars, always a good sign. The landlord seems very popular, and with good reason. What wonderful beers!
The pub is vast, and the restaurant just huge. I was more interested in the cosy bar area, which I have to say was very inviting and beautifully presented. Squish cushions and sofas, lovely prints on the wall.
But I must talk about the food. The range and quality of dishes offered in this establishment make it, in my experience, by far the best pub restaurant in teh area. There is a huge range of specials on the board, but I choose to sample the delights of the everyday menu and tried a few of the starters. Everyday they are not. Prawn souffle wrapped in smoked salmon was heavenly, light and tasty in the most delicate sauce. The garlic mushrooms were served in a light filo pastry. Since my friends and I turned up on a Wednesday night we found it was Curry Night – a great idea, with any curry and rice plus a glass of wine for £10. This would have already been good value, but the curry was sublime. Full of large chicken pieces, aromatic, heavy on coriander and freshly made, it was quite simply the best curry I have had in a pub, and my friends agreed about the prawn and beef curries. We didn’t even look at the dessert menu as we spent the whole time raving about the savoury dishes.
You’d be crazy not to go.
THE WANDERER