Pies at the root of new menus for Classic Lodges’ hotels

Although it may seem like spring is finally on its way, the colder weather could be here for a while longer so to keep the chill at bay and to celebrate British Pie Week, Classic Lodges has revamped the pies on the menus in two of its hotels.

In September last year, the Grovefield House Hotel near Windsor launched its pie of the month campaign. Many others in the 15-hotelstrong group have followed suit with some of the favourites being the game pie, and a ham hock pie with pea filling.

As part of the seasonal update to its menu, Bagden Hall near Wakefield has introduced a new range of ‘classic pies’ to its Bistro menu; among those to feature will be chicken and leek and all will be served in a typically Yorkshire style with mashed potatoes, peas and thick gravy.

The pies form part of a wider seasonal refresh of menus at both the informal setting of Nortons and more formal venue, Glendale. Head Chef Steve Philips has overseen the revamp that sees heavier dishes and roasts replaced with a number of pastas, risottos and a shared Ploughman’s platter.

Glendale’s menu will be based on a new concept with a choice of three courses including Chef’s classic combination pies like local game. Also on the menu will be classics like the Bagden burger that have been revamped with toppings like blue cheese and onion chutney, and the firm favourite fish and chips.

The star of the show will however be the blackboard specials – at the time of the relaunch there will be a seasonal soup and sandwich offer, and first up will be one filled with pulled pork.

All the meat for Glendales and Nortons is sourced from the Manchester region, and fish comes from Grimsby on a daily basis. All desserts are home made and even the Grumpy Mule coffee comes from Bolling Coffee, the Meltham-based coffee company.

Steve says the menus change at Bagden Hall every three months to reflect seasonal changes and to enable them to cater with locally sourced food: “In planning the menu choices, our guiding priorities are the quality of the ingredients and offering good value for money,” he says. “With these new dishes on both menus we feel we have the right balance of both and that people will continue to enjoy eating in both our restaurant and bistro.

“We have such great local producers from farmers growing fantastic vegetables, to some of the best meat and fish in the country if not Europe, so it is great to be able to include some of it on our menus.”

Richard Smith, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at Classic Lodges, says the pies are part of its drive to highlight the great food that all of the hotels produce: “We hope to encourage local diners to think about using our hotels to dine in the same way they would their favourite local gastro pub or restaurant, as we offer great value for money in fantastic surroundings,” he says.

www.classiclodges.co.uk