The Boathouse, Appley Bridge

I love a recommendation. I have a list on my phone of places where friends and colleagues have insisted I must go, and I have to say that it's very rare that this system lets me down. A couple of weekends ago it was the turn of The Boathouse in Appley Bridge. Another Sunday, another roast.

The Boathouse is set in a lovely little village in Wigan, and is positioned next to a beautiful canal with barges, cute places to sit and even a few friendly ducks. It's ideal for these upcoming sunny days we've been promised.

The dining room is smartly decorated, yet feels homely, with a separate 'snug' area if you just fancy a drink. There are lots of brightly coloured traditional pots and pans, a few nets, and other nautical memorabilia adorning the walls and beams (think Rosie and Jim), but more impressively, the music is fantastic! Both the Foo Fighters and Incubus were on whilst we were there. It's a Spotify playlist they created apparently...

We picked from the Sunday lunch menu, which is £13.95 for two courses, or £16.95 for three. Normally we pick different things and try a bit of each other's, but sorry folks, we both wanted the same thing this time.

Ham hock - fried egg, toasted brioche and peppercorn sauce: A thick piece of brioche topped with a big old pile of shredded ham hock. Really very tasty indeed.

Boathouse traditional Sunday lunch - beef, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: Very simple and not over-thought. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and retained a little bite, and the beef was tender and bathed in gravy. The only thing that could have been improved for us was the Yorkshire, which should have been a little crisper. Nevertheless, very enjoyable.

Sticky toffee pudding - toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream: We were both huge fans of this pudding. It was the kind of sticky toffee pud that has chunks of sweet date hiding in a very light sponge. Beautiful.

Coffee and Eccles cake: This is worth a mention because it came with a very special little Eccles cake. Sugar coated pieces of happiness.

The Boathouse is a lovely ride out into the countryside without having to go too far. The scenery is just idyllic too. It's the kind of place where couples feel just as comfortable as families, and there is plenty of room to sit outdoors if the weather is nice. They even have a little ice cream hut next to the canal. Go here on a lazy, warm afternoon.

The Crown at Worthington

I've had a busy couple of weeks. My brother got married, there was the Summer Fete and this week I've been testing my cake for Saturday's Clandestine Cake Club Bolton. I'm cream crackered. However, we have managed a fair bit of eating out during this period, mainly because I couldn't be bothered cooking! We went to the Crown at Worthington the day after my brother's wedding, when we were both feeling a bit ropey. A Sunday Roast was in order!

The Crown is just outside Standish near Wigan, and is about a 15 minute drive from Horwich. This is another family run business, headed by Tracy and Dan Prince. We've been going for a couple of years now, and go here on Christmas Day too. They champion home cooked food and a wide range of real ales. They even have a Real Ale Blog! They make a mean home made banger, fantastic hand crafted pies with traditional chips, you can pick your own steak at the famous Butcher's Block and they do an absolutely belting roast! You can choose whether to sit in the bar or restaurant and meals range from light snacks to belly busters.

We both had our favourite roast... a mix of beef, turkey and ham. It's massive. The picture really does not do it justice! Under that giant Yorkshire pud are roast and boiled potatoes and caramelised parsnips. It's also served with cabbage and carrot and swede mash.

Desserts include all your traditional favourites plus a few specials too. My husband had apple pie and custard and I had the waffles with maple syrup of the specials menu. The waffle is massive! I was a total greedy piglet warrior and polished the lot...

The Sunday Roast Menu is fantastic value at £12.95 for two courses or £15.95 for three (we paid a £2.50 supplement each to have the trio of meats). The menus are extensive at the Crown, and there are countless combinations you can choose from. For example they all come with different side choices and you can mix and match across menus. Granted, this is a little confusing on your first visit, but they are soon forgiven when you're full of lovely food. Here are the menus on offer!

The Crown Breakfast Menu

Sunday Roast Menu

The Lounge Bar Menu

Childrens Menu

The Famous Butcher’s Block

The Home Made Pie Shop

Al a Carte – Starters

Main Courses

Desserts

My only criticism is the service can be a little hit and miss. On the whole it's very good and the waitresses are excellent. I did overhear someone complaining about their meal behind us (I was being super nosy...) and I have to say the waitress could not have dealt with it any better. Things will inevitably go wrong at some point in most restaurants, it's just reassuring to know that they quickly act to put things right.

You can expect good quality home cooked food and award winning ales at the Crown. We like its relaxed atmosphere and countryside location. It's only a short journey from our house, but somehow feels like you've travelled much further because of its lovely surroundings. There's a deal on every night of the week, so there's always a bargain to be had. Give them a try!

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Disclaimer: The Crown at Worthington have not paid me for this post. I went because I needed stodge, and lots of it.

We went to Hindley for Summat to Ate...

Last week it was my parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. They wanted us all to go out for a meal, so looked to me as the ‘one who knows restaurants’ (yes… all of them apparently…) to make a suggestion. The power of social media strikes again. We’d heard of Summat to Ate in Hindley before, but the week before someone on Twitter had posted a picture of a mixed grill on the restaurant’s signature ‘hot rock’. I was sold by the amazing sounding desserts on their website. I’m a sucker for sugar.

Their ‘thing’ is steak. On a hot rock. A really hot rock. We had to remind my dad what the young waiter had said;

‘It’s hot and it WILL burn if you touch it!’.

This young lad is wasted as a waiter. He has a glittering career as a health and safety officer ahead of him. We spent the entire evening watching the twinkle in my dad’s eye which means one thing. “I need to touch that…’.

Crisis averted. The meal was lovely and the hot rock was novel entertainment as it cooked the food in front of you. I should mention here that the grandparents opted out of the hot rock experience. They didn’t trust it. Although both agreed they would try it next time.

As I mentioned earlier, and as my name suggests I am all about the baked goods. For a steak restaurant in Wigan, this place did a belting range of home made puddings! I had a trio of mini desserts, but in true ‘pig of the week’ style, I made my husband get a different one so I could try that one too! He didn’t even want a dessert… My mum also had help in choosing hers! 

My platter included an apple pie with custard, cheesecake and citrus tart. All delectably dreamy in their own special way! 

After trying the daddy of sticky toffee puddings at Sharrow Bay, I can’t resist sampling it when I see it on a menu. This one was really light with a sweet toffee sauce. It could have been improved with some decent ice cream though.

The Pear Frangipane tart was also a little bit special. Just a shame the presentation was spoiled by a splodge of marigold yellow custard (no complaints about the way the custard tasted though!)

Summat to Ate is right in the centre of Hindley, and was only a 15 minute drive from Horwich. They have some fantastic deals on, but all the food is reasonably priced. Just make sure you have a dessert…

Disclaimer: I went to Summat to Ate and had bits of five different desserts because I am a greedy pig, not because I was paid to write a review.

Read more about the restaurant here: Summat to Ate