Winter Woodland Feast at The Yard Alderley Edge Review
Winter Woodland Feast
The Yard, Alderley Edge
3 December 2015
Reviewed by Melanie Allen
We arrived a little early for our Winter Woodland Feast experience as it was our visit to The Yard and we misjudged how long it would take us to drive the 30 mile journey to the affluent Alderley Edge. The car park attached to the venue was a bit of a squeeze, but we managed to park successfully. As we entered the old-worldly hidden gem, we were greeted by a pleasant young lady who introduced herself as Sadie (who I later discovered was one of the owners). We were offered a glass of delicious mulled wine and shown to our table for the evening.
The Yard is like no other place you have ever visited. It is a warm and inviting health food shop/ busy cafe by day and a quaint and enchanting restaurant/ bar by night featuring great theme nights from comedy to Open Mic sessions. The rustic main seating area was set out with 5 small tables and 2 large. The tables were decorated for the festive season and the lighting enhanced the charming atmosphere, each light a unique design. A fairy light lit real Christmas tree was tucked away in the corner and more fairy lights donned what resembled a fireplace. The most prominent thing in the room was the enormous screen displaying (muted) Raymond Brigg’s Snowman film and later, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Soft music was playing in the background at an acceptable level. Sadie’s polite and attentive waitress took us through the daily menu as the other guests came in. It was a great mix of guests during the evening which included mature couples, single friends and youngsters. The atmosphere was very relaxed and mellow.
As we scanned the menu I was aware of the hard-working chef and his staff, right behind us, in the background cooking our meals. The kitchen is open plan for all to see. We were offered further drinks, I declined as I was the nominated driver and was quite happy with the carafe of water that was on the table, but my husband had a bottle of Peroni (£3).
I opted for the mushroom and red wine broth as my starter, my husband chose the gingered butternut squash soup. When it arrived it was piping hot and served with two slices of what appeared to be homemade bread. Both were very appetizing with interesting flavours.
As soon as our bowls had been whisked away, our main course appeared. A plentiful selection of fresh vegetables (roasted potatoes, parsnips, multi coloured carrots and braised red cabbage) was ready to accompany the main meal of either turkey or pork. I chose the pork tenderloin stuffed with shallots, poached pears and blue cheese which was ample in size and highly flavoursome. My husband chose the turkey, glazed in cider and maple (see picture for the full menu) .Turkey can be particularly dry but this meat was extremely tender and moist. The roast potatoes were divine.
After a greatly fulfilling meal we were offered a choice of desserts. Stuck for choice I ordered the Eggnog Pannacotta whilst my husband went for the Christmas pudding. My dessert was delectable, light and smooth and the pomegranate seeds enhanced the creaminess of the pannacotta. My husband complimented the Christmas pudding by saying it was small in size, massive in taste. This is just what you wanted after such a large meal.
Finally we were offered The Yard’s sacred cacao Elixir. This was a ‘good for you’ cinnamon flavoured hot chocolate, suitably festive for the time of year. This was then followed by a tea of a coffee. For me the coffee was a little on the cool side but it tasted great.
As we finished our dessert and coffee, Sadie took to the small corner stage and gently sang a few renditions, whilst also playing the guitar. She is remarkably talented lady! I just wish she could have sang throughout the meal as well.
Toilets were clean and the hand wash smelt wonderful. Oh, and I loved the feminine hygiene touch by the way!
All in all The Yard appears to be really well run (it’s a family affair, with Mum, Dad, Sadie and her brother Simon working very hard 7 days a week) with polite and knowledgeable friendly staff at hand. The prices are generally fixed on these theme nights – tonight’s meal was £41pp for the three courses, mulled wine, sacred cacao elixir and coffee, which is very reasonable. The food is fresh, hot and tasty. I would certainly book well in advance as this place is reported as being an up and coming popular venue – check out the forthcoming events: www.theyardalderleyedge.com/calendar.
Rating: 4.5/5
The next Winter Woodland Feast at The Yard, Alderley Edge is 17 December 2015. For for more information visit www.theyardalderleyedge.com or to make a booking call 01625 586962.
The Yard, 32 South St, Alderley Edge, SK9 7ES | 01625 586962
