The Golden Fleece
In the interests of journalistic accuracy, I reviewed the Fleece’s Sunday lunch menu under authentic test conditions - i.e. I got totally battered the night before and arrived suitably hungover. Luckily, they totally understand that its customers may be a feeling a bit delicate (and possibly even helped them get that way the night before), and do their best to make you feel as comfortable as possible; the lights are nicely dimmed, whilst the music is a toned-down sonic cocoon of soothing beats and laid-back reggae.
The Sunday roast, then; a great British tradition, as beloved as drinking tea and watching Coronation Street, but one that so many people get wrong and, in the wrong hands, ends up as a sloppy mess of overcooked veg puree and cardboard meat. However, the Fleece is a bit renowned for the old meat and two-veg (or, if you’re not that way inclined, veg and some-more-veg), and they offer a mouthwatering four choices - topside of beef, roast leg of lamb, roast chicken breast and a vegetarian option (all at £7.95).
The menu board proudly declares that dishes come with all of the trimmings. The board doesn’t lie. Both mine (the beef) and my friend’s (sweet potato and Emmental pie) sat atop a bed of roast potatoes, veg, Yorkshires and ample amounts of gravy. The thick slices of beef were succulent, tender, moist and full of flavour, while the veg option was a heavenly combination of red peppers, cheese and sweet potato, encased in a crispy pastry that didn’t overpower the filling. The actual side veg was done to perfection; the carrots, broccoli and mange tout had the right amount of crunch, the taters were gloriously golden, the red cabbage is a deft, sweet-edged touch, the Yorkies were pillow-soft.
Satiated, but not stodged, we treat ourselves to dessert; the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake looked like a work of art, with rich and creamy filling practically melting on the tongue. The crumble looked so appetising that my friend commented that she would like to put her face in it. The soft apples and sweet mixed berries were a match made in pudding heaven; the ideal winter warmer.
Although the place is always busy on Sundays (warning: don’t roll up at 4pm expecting there to be anything left), you never feel rushed – and it’s definitely the kind of place that you don’t want to leave just because you’ve eaten. Word has it that the Fleece might just be the best Sunday lunch pub in town, and there may well be better places that do it better – but once you’ve been here, would you risk going anywhere else?
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