A lunchtime feast fit for Cheshire Royalty

If you haven’t heard of The Drum and Monkey I must ask, do you really live in Cheshire? The Drum and Monkey is so much more than what you would expect from your typical Gastro Pub; It's coffee catch-ups. It’s family occasions. It’s Gin O’Clock. It’s Alderley Edge’s Crown Jewel. Drawing crowds from all over Cheshire and is often frequented by actual Cheshire Royalty (Hey Dawn, Hey Tanya!). If you haven’t been yet; What are you waiting for?

We had the absolute pleasure of being asked to visit The Drum and Monkey on Saturday, to check out the amazing refurb. The very same day some guy called Dennis decided to conjure up massive a storm. You’ll know by now though, not even a storm can stand between Lost in Cheshire and their food. In honesty, the weather outside only added to our experience and enhanced the moody vibes inside.

Greeted by the manager, Faye, we instantly fell in love with everything about this place. First opened in 1871 you get a real feeling of a traditional pub when you get inside. While the furniture and décor are very much in 2020, the low ceilings and exposed beams keep The Drums character alive. Recently undergoing renovation to the rear there is now a large dining room, which would be drowning in natural light on a sunny day, but as I mentioned before, good ol’ Dennis bought his storm with him on our visit so candles were dancing on every surface. It was glorious.

We decided we would put our trust in our Royal guide Faye and asked her to order our starters for us. Now that we’ve all fallen off the “New Year, New Me, New Diet” phase we thought we would dive right into all the carby, cheesy delights we could get our hands-on.

First up, we were told about a legendary dish. A dish that had people wondering if it was real or if it was made up in a dream.. turns out it was temporarily taken off the menu. We’re told that due to popular demand there is a very high chance it is coming back; Garlic Mushrooms with gooey thick stilton and cream sauce. Oh. My. God. Delicious! Considering I only converted to a Mushroom eater last year, I’m still a little cautious. Sometimes Mushrooms are hit and miss (you know me and my food texture issues..). Sometimes too small. Sometimes they are squeaky. Sometimes too slimy. These, however, were perfect. Bite-sized chunks of earthy, garlicky, cheesy, creamy goodness. It is not hard to see why these were a local favourite; Jamie and I were fighting over who got to mop up the sauce with the toasted Ciabatta.

I feel like its no overstatement to tell you that I fell slightly in love with Faye for this next choice. The Lazy Fondue. Baked Camembert, Cranberry, Crouts(Crispy bread slices to you and me) and Celery(I know, Celery? Give me more Carbs please) to dip. I’m unsure what type of Camembert was used but it didn’t seem quite as strong as other baked Camembert we’ve have had. It was a much subtler and softer taste. Although, it could be down to the absolute touch of genius that comes from the Cranberry sauce that’s inside the Camembert. YES. INSIDE. You may have seen the boomerang and cried a little. I know I did. The cranberry added the perfect sweet balance to the strong taste of the Camembert. I don’t know why I’ve never seen it before because they’re a marriage made in heaven.

I’m not quite sure how but Faye seemed to know exactly what we were craving, but delivered so much more. Our third starter (Yes third) that Faye chose, was the Garlic and Chilli Prawns. Giant, meaty, king prawns. Sautéed to absolute perfection. You gotta get a little barbaric, rip off the heads and peel off the shell. With the exposed prawn meat, grab some of the chilli and tomato together for a mouthful of magic. You can thank me later for that one. Again, this was finished off with a giant piece of ciabatta. We didn’t argue over this one though.. We were starting to feel a little woozy at this point.

We soldiered on though (I know, we’re such hard workers!). We still had the main dish to go. We didn’t have our guide Faye to help us through with this course. We were on our own! I opted for the Sticky Sesame Chilli Beef Salad. Think of shredded chilli beef from the Chinese takeaway, but not as spicy. Sweeter and crisper. Shredded Chilli Beef is a house favourite of ours, so I absolutely loved this dish. Underneath was a Korean style noodle salad. Thin noodles covered in the sticky sesame sauce. Perched up on top of the shredded chilli beef, like a crown, was a nest of puffed crispy rice noodles. This was real comfort food and so easy to eat, despite having had such a filling starter. This would go down a treat on a summers evening with a nice glass(/Bottle) of Prosecco on the side.

The time was roughly 1.30pm, the Drum had only been open an hour and a half and it was packed. Guests were pouring through the doors. People were coming in with their tired dogs, post walkies. Daughters catching up with mothers. A massive family gathering of some sort. A lady by herself, sipping her tea reading the newspaper over in the corner. The locals are comfortable to be here for whatever reason they like. Do we even really need a reason to visit the local? The Drum and Monkey will welcome you in like a family friend and make you want to keep coming back for more.

The Drum and Monkey exceeded all our expectations. Nicky, your team were fabulous, so friendly and attentive. They really helped us feel at home. We can’t wait to come back for some drinks.. Faye, book the night off love…

While this meal was gifted to us, this is a true and honest reflection of our experience.

If you would like to read more of our reviews please head over to the blog page to see what tickles your tastebuds, or get in touch if you would like to work with us.