Strawbury Duck, Country Pub, Reviewed

SEVEN months after re-opening, the Strawbury Duck in Turton is settling into a comfort zone.  But this may just be their downfall.

Our server was right when she said they’ve got their ducks in a row. The food is consistent, well-sourced, and well-cooked.  

From Edgworth, the narrow lane down to the pub is practically a tunnel of overgrown grass and bramble.  This opens onto a bridge across the Wayoh Reservoir, then up a steep hill. Working so hard to get there adds to the country pub experience, or so claims my fiancé from behind the wheel. 

We park in front of Entwistle Rail Station, to which trains run regularly from Manchester Victoria.  It’s perfect for having an afternoon walk around the reservoir (roughly an hour and a half all the way around) followed by a meal.  Also, next to the station is the entrance to the West Pennine Remembrance Park, another scenic stroll.  

The Strawbury Duck is for walkers and cyclists and undoubtedly for dog owners.  Entwistle residents seem to be mad for massive canines, and these slobbering speed bumps lay stretched out on the stone floor, usually right around the front door.  It pays to watch your step on your way to the bar. 

Drive or no drive, the Duck feels like a country pub.  The dining rooms have a homely feel one might call cramped when in the afternoon, rucksacks, prams and the aforementioned mutts fill the empty spaces. 

The ‘cottages’ at the front of the restaurant are the oldest rooms.  With the kitchen adjacent to one of them, opting to dine here will result in a meal punctuated by the noise of foot traffic and hushed dialogues among the service staff.  This is where we sat, but I find the tables in the main area closer to the bar to be much more spacious and airy.  

The songs of lyrical vocalists are piped in, and come evening the Duck makes its attempt to walk the line between country pub and gastropub.  I’m wondering if Adele plus candlelight plus female hormones make some kind of foolproof equation for romantic atmosphere.  It probably only works on women -- my fiancé is yawning beside me. 

He gets a shot in the arm as the starter arrives.  It’s black pudding and a fluffy poached egg stacked atop a toasted muffin and served with mustard sauce.  It sounds delicious, and it is, even for someone like me who is always a bit squeamish about black pudding.  However, the white expanse of plate is a tad off-putting.  The photo I took on my Blackberry does it justice. And that’s not saying much. 

In the mood for fish and seeing nothing listed on the specials board, I ask them to improvise by turning the fish n’ chips into something a bit more posh, i.e. baked not breaded.  It’s a request I feel justified making because at £12.55, it’s the most expensive item on the regular menu.  The special mains of sirloin steak and pan-roasted grouse are just under £16 and £18, respectively.   

A bottle of house white is £11.95, but I recommend the Iuvena Rioja at £13.95 for a bottle.  Pure, a Pinot Grigio Rose from Chile for £3.75 per 175ml, is also a treat.  

Every two months, the proprietors choose ales from a changing list. Skipton Brewery’s Copper Dragon and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord are among those on draught at present.  

My baked haddock arrives quicker than I expected and is spot-on, full of flavour, hearty.  And my fiancé is pleased by his corn-fed Goosnargh chicken with peppercorn sauce, served on a bed of spinach and accompanied by new potatoes, this is another hearty dish which is gloriously rustic.  The mains fill us up and we both think the portions are adequate.  

For dessert, we choose a set cream with berry compote and shortbread.  The shortbread is made in-house, as are all the desserts.  Our waitress admits they stumbled when their provider fell through and they took on the baking themselves.  They’ve got the hang of it now, she says.  The compote’s sugary simplicity and the cream’s belly busting richness provide a good end to the meal.  And the shortbread is lovely.  

Our server was right when she said they’ve got their ducks in a row.  The food is consistent, well-sourced, and well-cooked.  

My only gripe is that despite the Duck’s gastropub intentions, the menu lacks adventurousness.  Surely there must be more creative ways to serve a sirloin steak than with tomatoes, mushrooms, and chips? 

The specials could evolve into something more, I don’t know, special, and glean innovation from the gastropub side, rather than routine from its country pub counterpart.  

Overall though the meal was quacking good.  And I’m nearly out of duck puns so I’ll leave it there. 

You can follow Karen Regn on @karenregn

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Strawbury Duck
Overshores Road, Turton, Bolton, BL7 OLU

Rating: 15/20
Food: 7/10
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 4/5