Relish is part of the mini empire run by the excellent Thornbridge Brewery. As a fan of their beer I had high hopes for the food and the experience in general. It's styled as a kitchen, bar and social which is probably about right. It's casual and lively but definitely not a pub, the emphasis being on the food with table service provided throughout.
The menu is fairly pubby though, sort of sturdy British in the modern style. There are pies and burgers, and things involving ham hock and scotching of eggs. Being greedy I opted for the Steak & Thornbridge ale pot pie, suet pastry of grain mustard/thyme/cheddar cheese, beef dripping potatoes, mushy peas and a jug of gravy (£12).
It was very good in every department save one. Sadly the suet crust pastry let the side down. If you get suet pastry right it can be a joy, and surprisingly light too (blowing of own trumpet alert - see this version). Unfortunately the Relish suet crust was thick, claggy, underdone and not much fun at all.
Back to the positives, everything else was great. Nice roasties, well-made proper gravy and excellent sloppy peas. The pie filling was packed with slow cooked tender meat and assorted vegetables bound in a very tasty gravy (perhaps seasoned with Sheffield's finest Henderson's relish?).
As an aside I can't help but complain about the lack of a plate. It seems like everywhere I go at the moment wants to serve me my dinner on a roof tile or a chopping board or a plank. I've said it before and I'll say it again: what is wrong with a plate? Why would I want to eat gravy from a chopping board? Why? Stop it. Rant over.
Across the table AS also declared her sausage, mash, Yorkshire pudding and gravy a success, the only criticism being a surfeit of gravy. AS is a Southerner though, so she obviously doesn't understand that there's no such thing as too much gravy, especially where sausages and mash are concerned. That's also the small portion (yes, small) costing just £6.
Good stuff overall, friendly service and reasonably priced at around £23 including drinks (Thornbridge Jaipur IPA - delicious). If they'd given me good pastry and put my dinner on a plate I'd have upped the rating a notch.
7/10
371-373 Ecclesall Road
Sheffield
S11 8PF
www.relishrelish.co.uk
The menu is fairly pubby though, sort of sturdy British in the modern style. There are pies and burgers, and things involving ham hock and scotching of eggs. Being greedy I opted for the Steak & Thornbridge ale pot pie, suet pastry of grain mustard/thyme/cheddar cheese, beef dripping potatoes, mushy peas and a jug of gravy (£12).
It was very good in every department save one. Sadly the suet crust pastry let the side down. If you get suet pastry right it can be a joy, and surprisingly light too (blowing of own trumpet alert - see this version). Unfortunately the Relish suet crust was thick, claggy, underdone and not much fun at all.
Back to the positives, everything else was great. Nice roasties, well-made proper gravy and excellent sloppy peas. The pie filling was packed with slow cooked tender meat and assorted vegetables bound in a very tasty gravy (perhaps seasoned with Sheffield's finest Henderson's relish?).
As an aside I can't help but complain about the lack of a plate. It seems like everywhere I go at the moment wants to serve me my dinner on a roof tile or a chopping board or a plank. I've said it before and I'll say it again: what is wrong with a plate? Why would I want to eat gravy from a chopping board? Why? Stop it. Rant over.
Across the table AS also declared her sausage, mash, Yorkshire pudding and gravy a success, the only criticism being a surfeit of gravy. AS is a Southerner though, so she obviously doesn't understand that there's no such thing as too much gravy, especially where sausages and mash are concerned. That's also the small portion (yes, small) costing just £6.
Good stuff overall, friendly service and reasonably priced at around £23 including drinks (Thornbridge Jaipur IPA - delicious). If they'd given me good pastry and put my dinner on a plate I'd have upped the rating a notch.
7/10
371-373 Ecclesall Road
Sheffield
S11 8PF
www.relishrelish.co.uk
I completely agree with you platey rant! Why would I want to scrape my sauce off a piece of slate? It's all very odd...
ReplyDeleteyour*
ReplyDeleteI expect the chopping board/slate/roof tile nonsense in London town, but there is something wrong when it's spotted in Sheffield.
ReplyDeleteLester - no I haven't, thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteChef Chipmunk - glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's wrong! As Mr Noodles points out, London is probably to blame.
Mr Noodles - there are many UK food trends originating in London town that I like (regional Chinese food, good street food, not getting stared at like you're a massive weirdo for dining alone to name but three), but this is not one of them.
Still a little too much gravy... x
ReplyDeleteThey do the same thing at Cricket Inn a sister restaurant putting everything on flaming chopping boards. Now when I go in I ask for the dish then add that I want it bringing on a plate. Ridiculous and I think unsanitary.
ReplyDeleteAnon - not really sure whether it's unsanitary, never come to harm from one. Still ridiculous though!
ReplyDeleteI'm always scared of getting splinters when my food is served on a piece of wood... it's a strange concept.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Jaipur converted me (a 23 year old girl) to be an ale drinker - I used to work in the Kings Head in Bonsall during summers home from uni and Jaipur was always my favourite during the Beer Fest we held during the first week of August (worth a visit, just don't eat there!)
Saskia