A famous hound gives its name to The Blue Cap and our visit there certainly became a dog of a night.
That was not the fault of the hospitality at this attractive old inn on the main Chester to Northwich road but down to the pond life who broke into my car while Val and I were dining.
The only comfort was that the master criminal who smashed the rear window to get into the boot in the hope of pulling out a juicy haul found the interesting-shaped object he had greedily grabbed in the dark was a bag of compost! Needless to say, he left it behind on the back seat instead of running off with it to flog for a few bob.
It was a sad climax to an evening laden with some excellent food and a few generous helpings of nostalgia.
Although it has a long history which dates back to 1716 and a strong association with hunting and the nearby Cheshire Forest Hunt kennels in Sandiway, the Blue Cap is now one of the Chef & Brewer chain of pub restaurants.
Its possible attraction to petty criminals, however, is that the site is also home to a Premier Inn and the culprit who broke into my car and the one parked next to it was no doubt looking for bags or laptops left in their vehicles by hotel guests.
The building itself is quaint with an eye-catching statue of Blue Cap standing above the pub sign. Thanks to Cuddington and Sandiway historian Mark Bevan, I can tell you that this king of dogs was a foxhound owned by squire Mr John Smith-Barry who, in 1792, took park in a race at Newmarket for a wager with Hugo Meynell who was Master of the Quorn Hunt. At stake was 500 guineas which in those day must have been half the national debt.
Happily Blue Cap proved Cheshire is best by prevailing and is still a hero with a monument to him standing at the hunt kennels. The pub itself was originally called the Sandiway Head but was proudly renamed in honour of the hound.
I had not been there for more than a decade, and have happy memories of it from former footballing days, but was pleased to find it is still welcoming and cosy with lots of wooden beams and panels as well as big pine tables which wouldn’t be out of place in the Waltons’ kitchen.
It has been sympathetically extended and is usefully divided into a series of rooms which offer plenty of choice depending on whether you want an intimate corner or a seat for a spot of people-watching.
Both of us were also impressed with the simple clear menu which is well laid out with rounded descriptions of largely traditional and safe dishes and prices about average for a good restaurant. It also has a commitment to Fairtrade products and to buying local, as well as plenty of thought for vegetarians.
A shortcoming in our view is that you have to order your food at the bar. This is fine for bar snacks but not ideal when you have to remember to go back after your main meal to request desert. It also means that you don’t depend on the waitress to make sure everything is right but on whoever take your order at the bar and, as we found, this can all go pear-shaped.
All the tables had candles on them and the place was scattered with open fireplaces which must make it delightful when they are lit in winter.
From a comprehensive and reasonably priced wine list we opted for a bottle of Arcole Pinto Grigio which arrived quickly and proved delightful as we scanned the list of eight starters offered.
My choice of homemade farm-assured chicken skewers marinated in honey mustard, on a bed of celeriac salad, was tasty but not quite so appetising was Val’s vegetarian selection of creamy garlic and pesto on toasted bread which was just one piece with no trimmings.
If you are a steak lover then add the Blue Cap to your must-try list. I went for a seven-ounce fillet, cooked medium, which came with onions rings, mushrooms, tomato and chips. It was truly superb and proved the wisdom of Chef & Brewer’s policy of using only British beef and allowing it to mature for 35 days.
From a fine fish section on the menu, Val opted for Scottish salmon Wellington with Charlotte potatoes, green beans and a lemon butter sauce.
The portion of salmon was more than generous and the pastry lovely. But instead of the green beans the dish arrived with peas. The waitress said we should have been told of this change when we placed our order.
Idiots that we are, we then made the mistake of finishing our main courses and then forgetting we needed to go back to the bar to order desert. Eventually we remembered and made our selection from the ‘Treat Yourself’ desert menu which offers a nice range including the alternative of low fat frozen yoghurt instead of custard or cream.
Again, all did not quite go without a hitch as a few minutes later the embarrassed waitress came over to tell us we should have been informed the spiced orange cheesecake was off.
Instead, Val asked for rum barbar from the specials board and I chose white chocolate and raspberry tart. We both had yummy extra thick Channel Island cream to go with them. When they came they were a pleasant end to the meal.
Our experience was that although the food was all that it should be, the service at the Blue Cap on what was a busy Friday could have been better.
But then we were unlucky that night. After all, we had not expected to finish the evening as another statistic on the crime figures.
FACTFILE
The Blue Cap, Chester Road, Sandiway CW8 2DN
Phone: 01606 883006
Email: bluecap.sandiway@pubexplorer.com.
Three courses for two people came to £42.35 with a bottle of Pinot Grigio Arcole £12.75 and a bottle of Abbeywell still water £1.51, total cost £56.61.
Best thing: Relaxing, timber-beamed decor; clear, well-written menu.
Worst thing: Lack of communication over menu changes.
Would suit: Steak fans; cheap children’s menu is a bonus for families.
Wouldn’t suit: Teenagers craving all things modern; gourmets looking for the wow factor.
