Spread Eagle

The Spread Eagle has become a bit of a favourite for when MrD and myself fancy a carvery– I’m not normally a fan of carvery with an expectation of dry meat and soggy veg but they have blown my expectations out of the water.
There are always a number of carving joints on offer and two specials such as braised beef in a sauce — totally around 7 meats to choose from, each of them thoroughly delectable.
You can choose up to three meats, top if off with a huge Yorkshire and then help yourself to sides — roast vegetables, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, onions and also salads just to pick a few.
I’ve no idea what they offer for puddings as I’ve never had enough room to be interested! There are a couple of non carvery options but only a few.
It always seems quieter than we’d expect but then the layout is such that tables are often tucked away in side rooms, I expect that being a carvery it gets much busier on a Sunday but it does cost a bit more so we haven’t tried it.

So, I’ve been meaning to catch up on my reviewing duties for some time, so there might be a little more remembering going on here than usual (but only by a couple of weeks)
The Spread Eagle was our choice for a nice Saturday lunch, before we had to get cracking with some of the more tedious household tasks.
The menu choice is limited, they pretty much only do carvery, with a couple of fish and veggie options on the side, but you should definitely not let that put you off going. For a very reasonable price you get to choose three of a choice of seven meats; on the day we went these were:
Roast Beef
Roast Pork
Roast Turkey
Char Shui Pork
Gammon Joint
Beef Brisket
Lamb Joint
You can’t beat that! To that you can add two different types of spud, loads of veg, salad, gravy, the usual sauces and, of course, Yorkshire pudding. I paid an extra pound and got another (huge) Yorkshire pud, and more meat (still just the three, but you get more). You should probably only go for that option if you’re really hungry or really adventurous though — it’s hard to finish; the plate was literally overflowing (potato buttresses to the rescue there).
The place itself is really nice — it’s recently had a renovation but retains its old world charm — lots of cosy nooks and crannys.
There is the option for bar only if you’re not in the mood for food, there’s a small beer garden at the front, and plenty of car parking space in the back — and it’s worth the trip out…