Category is: Country Realness
If you’re looking for a pub that serves country chic and outstanding grub, then look no further. We’ve found it for you. Tucked away down on the back roads of Mobberley you’ll find The Frozen Mop.
This Country Pub is the latest addition to The Cheshire Pub Company’s arsenal of pubs; they are the same owners of The Ship Inn (Styal) and The Dog Over Peover. Under new management, since November 2019 The Frozen Mop has undergone a huge makeover that will be sure to leave you (and your four-legged friend) shook!
Last Saturday we battled against the high winds and bitter cold to take a trip to The Mop to see what culinary delights this team were making. This huge and gorgeously renovated building drips with country elegance. There is a delightfully maintained grass courtyard (Ok, beer garden) to the rear for those sunny, long evenings. I’m going to hazard a guess and say this will be where most of Mobberley will be found come summer. I must be honest; I was slightly taken back when we got inside. The place is huge! The restaurant area has a contemporary feel but carefully keeps its rustic country charm; shelves full of trinkets, oil lamps above the fireplaces, bookcases strategically dotted throughout to make sure no space feels cold or empty.
Inside we were instantly met with warmth, both figuratively and literally; They have two open fires that help keep the building heated and the pubs General Manager Neal was waiting to greet us with a big smile. We were able to pick our own table as long as it wasn’t already laid as these were reserved for other guests. Off we went on our quest to find the perfect lighting and best spot for food photos. We picked the little nook behind the fireplace. I’m not sure if this was because we wanted the fireplace as a backdrop or because we could both see ourselves with friends getting very comfortable and very drunk in that nook. Either way, we felt right at home.
When asked what we would like for lunch we asked for Neal’s guidance. He picked out the steamed Steak and Kidney Pudding for Jamie and the Chicken Shish Kebab Skewers for me. It’s a good thing we’re so skinny and love petit portions. YEAH RIGHT! Jamie’s Pudding was what I think a chip shop pudding would look like if it got addicted to steroids. The Chicken thighs on my skewers definitely didn’t miss leg day at the gym. They were HENCH!
Now I know what you may be thinking; “But Richard, don’t you usually have to sacrifice quality for large quantity??” No is the answer. Gone are the days of going to a Weatherspoons because you get a huge portion of food for a few quid (Not that I would be seen dead in a Wetherspoons, but that’s not the point). The point is, The Frozen Mop serves outstanding food, huuuuuge portions and all for a low cost.
The Chicken Shish skewers were chargrilled to absolute perfection. A smokey char on the outside and still oh so moist and juicy on the inside. I wasn’t being dramatic when I said these thighs had been doing their leg presses. They were large, full of flavour and will make you very happy! The two skewers are served with a middle eastern delicacy; Majadra rice. Also served with flatbreads, minty fresh yoghurt and pickled vegetables. The rice is jam-packed full of flavour. Majadra rice is fragrant fried rice, traditionally served in the middle east. It has crunchy fried onion cooked throughout which means no two mouthfuls are the same.
When Jamie’s Steak and Kidney pudding hit the table, so did our jaws. It was massive. Genuinely, it is the size of a Christmas pudding. Instead of the flambé flames rising up from the top, it had bellows of steam and a gravy perfume. Yes, gravy perfume is now a thing. Served with Mushy peas and the biggest fluffiest looking chips you ever did see. I had to stop myself (rather, Jamie had to stop me) on more than one occasion from eating a chip before we finished taking pictures. The Gravy was thick enough to clog your arteries! If you read our review on The Roast at Shrewsbury (here) you’ll know my opinion on Gravy; thicker is always better. All I could hear from Jamie's side of the table (couldn’t really see him, he was dwarfed by this pudding on his plate) was ‘WOW, Oh my god look at this!’ when he opened it up. More thick, rich gravy. Mighty chunks of steak came rushing out of the pudding onto the plate. The steak fell apart and melted apart in the mouth with no effort at all. We’re always a little wary of large chips. Are they going to be raw in the middle? Are they going to have that weird texture? Not today, not these chips! The chips were huge, crisp on the outside and fluffy all the way through. The perfect vessel for mopping up all of that gravy. This Man vs Food Size Pudding was a real triumph.. I mean literally, Jamie couldn’t finish it. I challenge any of our readers to try it and finish it. Send me a picture if you do, because I simply won't believe you without photographic evidence.
The Frozen Mop serves a huge selection of foods. From Pub classics, fish and chips all the way to steaks and Harissa Marinated Lamb skewers. They are sure to have something to suit all diners. We can really see that this venue can be used for so much more than just a quick drink or dinner. With board games and books plenty, you could stay all day. It’s somewhere that can easily host a special occasion, with space to feed a small army. I would hope that all of the locals in Mobberley are ready to give this building the love it deserves and embrace it as the hub of their community (considering almost all of Mobberley could fit inside at the same time, I don’t see why that can’t happen).
Thank you to Neal and the team at The Frozen Mop for allowing us to run around taking photos. Very excited to see what the future has in store for The Cheshire Pub Company (I hear talks of another pub being added to the list soon). Finally, thank you to Jenny for reaching out to us, very grateful!
While this meal was gifted to us, that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from our negative feedback. 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 taste buds