A roast is the perfect way to end the week, and if I don’t fancy cooking, I’ll often head to a local pub or restaurant to treat myself to Sunday lunch out.
I’ve enjoyed many roasts over the years, but it’s taken me this long to find the best Yorkshire pudding I’ve ever had. I live near a few pubs that serve roast dinners every Sunday, and a few weeks ago I visited Pollards Inn in Willaston, Wirral.
I’ve enjoyed a variety of meals at Pollards over the last few years due to it being my local pub and having a charming, welcoming environment. I have to say the restaurant’s chicken Sunday lunch is probably my favourite dish. Priced at £10.50, it comes with half a roast chicken, seasonal vegetables, roast potatoes and a giant Yorkshire pudding, finished with a generous helping of gravy.
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Other roast dinners at Pollards Inn include slow cooked shoulder of Welsh lamb (£12.50), topside of beef (£11.50), and a sweet potato, cashew and apricot chutney tart (£9.50). There’s also a child’s roast available for £6.50.
When we visited on a sunny Sunday lunchtime, the restaurant was bustling and the large beer garden had many groups of families and friends enjoying a drink in the sunshine. We were seated in the cosy bar area of the pub which had a relaxed atmosphere.
A friendly waiter sat us down and ensured we were served our drinks within a few minutes. We both chose the chicken roast dinner and didn’t have to wait long for our meals to arrive. The first thing I noticed when I saw our roasts being brought over to us was the size of the Yorkshire pudding. It was huge and looked delicious - I think it was love at first sight.
Thankfully, the Yorkshire pudding was as tasty as its appearance led me to believe. I like Yorkshire pudding, but it’s not usually a must-have on a roast dinner for me. However, it’s the star of Pollards Inn’s Sunday lunch. It was flavoursome, soft and fluffy, and it soaked up the delicious thick gravy perfectly.
I’m not that keen on red meat, so chicken is always my go-to. I find that some pubs and restaurants can dry out the chicken, but this isn’t the case at Pollards. The half roast chicken was cooked to perfection - moist with a slightly crispy skin. It’s probably the tastiest chicken I’ve ever had at a pub.
The roast potatoes were lightly crisped on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The seasonal vegetables were carrots and broccoli which were cooked well, and the dish as a whole was piping hot and well seasoned. This included the gravy which I quite frankly could have drank straight from a gravy boat because it was that tasty.
The only downside to the chicken roast dinner was that I’d have loved more of it! Yes, the Yorkshire pudding was huge, but I’d have liked a couple more roast potatoes (there were three in total) and a bit more veg. Considering how delicious the Sunday lunch was, though, this was easily forgivable, and it meant I had room for dessert afterwards.
We opted for a warm sticky toffee pudding (£6.90) that came with vanilla ice cream and was just as delightful as the roast. We also chose the special Creme Egg sundae dessert (£5) which included two whole Creme Eggs cut up with soft ice cream and cream, plus plenty of chocolate sauce.
I’m very glad Pollards Inn is on my doorstep, as I know whenever I’m craving Sunday lunch out, I can rely on the pub to welcome me back with open arms and a hearty roast. Pollards Inn is at Village Square, Willaston, Neston, CH64 2TU, and you can book a table via the website here.
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