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Eating Out - The Boar's Head, Hoghton
After a few days away to welcome in the New Year, there was something comforting about returning home through the snow and settling down to some traditional Lancashire grub.
As a southerner born and bred, I'm now entering my 13th year living in the North and, somehow, jellied eels have far less appeal than a tasty hotpot.
On an icy night, the roaring log fire at the Boar's Head was the perfect welcome. Newly-refurbished but keeping hold of its rural feel, the pub is clean and bright with wooden flooring, exposed beams and cosy furnishings.
The Christmas over-indulgence had clearly left many people thinking about their pennies and their waistlines so the pub wasn't as busy on a Saturday night as we might have expected.
But there was a good atmosphere and plenty of families tucking into their meals, still able to stand the sight of each other after the festive holiday.
The menu offered a decent amount of choice, with lots of local produce, so we spent some time pondering our options. The waitress soon arrived and we were under starters orders.
A few minutes later, our starters were delivered and the presentation was excellent.
Mine was the eggs Benedict (4.95) – a large soup bowl with a stack in the middle comprising half a lightly toasted muffin, a thick layer of smoked salmon, a perfectly poached free range egg and lashings of Hollandaise sauce on top. Simple but very effective. Across the table, a North Atlantic prawn and avocado salad (5.25) had arrived, beautifully presented in a Sex-And-The-City-style cosmopolitan cocktail glass.
My fellow diner was a little put out that the avocado was in mousse form but it didn't detract from his enjoyment.
Next up was the aforementioned Lancashire hotpot (8.75) for me, again imaginatively presented. The slow-cooked lamb, topped with browned sliced potato was in its own dish, alongside another small dish filled with braised red cabbage. The cabbage was quickly shovelled in to make a tasty combination and the plate was cleared.
My boyfriend tucked into an 8oz sirloin steak (15.95). The menu said the pub was "the home of the sirloin" with the pledge it would be "cooked to your taste".
Unfortunately, the meat was more on the rare side than the requested medium. But there were few complaints, except for the groaning stomach at the end. A big pile of handcut chips, fried mushrooms and cherry tomatoes on the vine saw to that.
When the dessert menu arrived, our first request was for a break.
The waitress asked how long we would like and then returned a few minutes later to take our order of chocolate truffle (4.50) and vanilla crme brulee (4.25).
The rich truffle, which came with a portion of fruit berries, was a chocoholic's dream so I savoured every mouthful. The crme brulee arrived with a chunk of homemade shortbread, creamy and rich. The brulee was in a much larger ramekin than standard and was eaten in stages as the evening's indulgence took its toll.
This stone pub in the shadow of Hoghton Tower and overlooking open fields, offered faultless service and hearty, traditional food costing 43.65 for three course apiece.
Don't forget to pick up your all new look Saturday Lancashire Evening Post
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
