The Ned Ludd

The Ned Ludd’s attitude is all about making the most of local beer and history. This attitude is also applied to their food - using local, seasonal produce and traditional recipes, the chef has created some favourite British dishes with a contemporary and imaginative twist. It’s sometimes difficult to find vegetarian or vegan versions of traditional recipes, as they often rely on meat or fish as the main ingredient. At the moment there are no vegan dishes on the menu, but I have been advised that this is going to change.

I decided to go straight for a main course. The vegetarian starters, apart from the soup, looked fairly substantial and I wanted to leave room for a dessert. I chose the (Vegetarian) Homity Pie, followed by white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce. The cheesecakes vary depending on what seasonal fruits are available which is a nice touch.

The Homity Pie itself was served in a traditional metal pie dish and was generous in size, with the lightest filo pastry. Pies are often made from rather stodgy short-crust pastry, so this was a real bonus. It was delicious. Contained in the pie was a medley of potatoes and leeks, in even proportion and cooked perfectly, neither too soft nor too firm. The creamy sauce was laced with Black Pepper and Rosemary, which gave it a fragrant piquancy. On the top of the pie was a crumbly layer of local Colwick cheese. This is similar to Feta if you like goat’s cheese. There should have been a crispy crust of breadcrumbs, but this seemed to be missing. This did not detract from the fantastic flavour. Accompanying the pie was a selection of vegetables: a spoonful of cinnamon-spiced red cabbage shreds, two parsnip pieces, some slices of carrot and a couple of florets of broccoli. They were cooked to perfection; however I would have liked a slightly larger portion of the vegetables.

To follow I couldn't have asked for a richer cheesecake. The white chocolate gave a delicate flavour to a proper old-fashioned dessert: firmer than your flimsy new-fangled ones and not too sweet. Just the right amount of crispy base topped with the Colwick cheese and chocolate layer. It was swirled with a drizzle of raspberry sauce.

Overall, a susbstantial lunch, fit to feed Captain Ned Ludd himself.

Other dishes include:

• ‘The General’s Wotsits’: Croquettes with Red Leicester cheese and red onion.
• Local meat pies, pork pies, scotch eggs.
• Ham hock with shallots.
• Chicken wings with Shipstone’s sauce.
• Gourmet burgers with Stout and cheese topping: Navigation Brewery Stout and Colwick cheese.
• ‘The 16oz General’ Burger! Double burger topped with Cropwell Bishop local stilton.

By Christy Fearn