THE SHIP
The Parade, Parkgate, Wirral, CH64 6SA
Tel: 0151 336 3931
Website: the-shiphotel.co.uk
Soap star spotting, sunshine and scrummy food, what more could you ask for on a Bank Holiday weekend? And that's exactly what we got on our visit to The Ship, Parkgate.
We have long been fans of this traditional coaching inn, which has just reopened after undergoing a refurbishment.
The premises can now offer an upper deck and heated outside seating, giving stunning views over the marshland, so wanting to avoid the Bank Holiday traffic we hopped on the Bidston line and travelled by train.
We got off at Neston and took a stroll along the Wirral Way before heading to the Ship to see what their new menu had to offer.
I was fearful that their amazing triple cooked chips would no longer be an option but thankfully my fears were allayed and there they were, on the menu in all their glory.
The menu is packed with British classics, as well as their own seasonal creations and appears to have taken a step up since the reopening.
So what were the choices?
Nibbles included: a selection of The Bread Factory breads with balsamic and olive oil; mushy pea and mint fritters with curry sauce; wild boar sausage roll with poppy seeds and spiced tomato and pear chutney.
The starters offered plenty of choice too, including roast cauliflower and white onion soup with grilled stilton toast; smoked haddock and caper arancini, horseradish mayonnaise, charred red pepper, chicory and olive salad to name a couple.
Mains served up roasted duck breast with beetroot and bramley apple ketchup, crisp confit potatoes, port reduction, savoy cabbage and bacon; tempura Singapore style soft shell crab with egg noodles, chili, coriander and spring onion; braised pork rigatoni in red wine and rosemary with chestnut mushrooms, pancetta, crispy sage and parmesan, with lots more on offer.
On this occasion, we went for the light bites and sandwiches section.
I chose Shetland mussel and steelhead smoked trout tagliatelle, crispy pancetta, peas, wilted rocket and parmesan (£13.25), while my partner opted for the sirloin steak ciabatta, Emmental cheese, Dijon mayo, red onion jam and skin on fries (£12.50) but swapped his fries for triple cooked chips. Hoorah!!
For drinks I went for a pint of Trappers Hat (£4.20) while my partner chose the pricey Brixton Pale Ale (£6.50).
So to the food. Oh my goodness, the flavour of my pasta dish was delicious. The pancetta not too salty, the fish delicate and flavoursome and the pasta not too thick or thin. The sauce coating the dish was light and tasty.
My partner enjoyed his steak sandwich and said the meat was cooked perfectly. He left the top of his ciabatta as he said it was too much bread and he needed room for the triple-cooked chips.
The chips were just as amazing as I remembered, yes he did share a few with me, and well worth a trip on their own.
Needless to say we had no room for desserts but the menu had everything sweet lovers could ever wish for.
The Ship has been tastefully refurbished and the staff were attentive and efficient as ever.
As for the soap star, well as we were dining Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) from Emmerdale walked past - twice!
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