The Eagle & Child

Oh my lordy lord I’m home. This is the very village in which I grew up. Nothing happens here. Seriously, have a wander round Parbold on Google Street View. If you’ve got your preconceptions of rural countryside living from Emmerdale, think again. The most drama you get in Parbold is when someone’s dog goes missing, there’s a strange smell in the local shop or they put a new shelter up in the train station.
I say home, it’s a very long time since I’ve considered Parbold home. Since my parents emigrated to the Canaries I’ve taken to thinking of sunnier climes as my hometown, and Parbold’s something of an anomaly. But many happy memories reside here, and considering the Brunette is still a Southport dweller we occasionally partake in drives here to see what’s going on. You can’t beat a bit of country fresh air and acres of farmland. As I’ve mentioned before, the Eagle and Child used to be run by friends who’ve fallen off the contact radar, except via the spying joy that is Facebook. Now it’s been overtaken by the Ainscough branch, so I had to see what was going on.
Now this place is a bit more like it. You know where everything’s from, some from its farm shop next door and plenty of local produce including its own meat grown on Parbold farmland. It’s a simple and small but thoroughly upmarket British menu, with starters including black pudding, potato and bacon salad, game salad, carrot and cumin (interesting twist) soup with carrot crisps and suchlike. You’ve got two veggie mains to choose from; a Thai style veg curry and a pasta with wild mushroom, both of which are inventive enough but don’t feel in situ with the rest of the menu really… cornfed chicken, sautéed pork, Croston Hall pheasant (eww, I went to high school in Croston). But it’s all really tasty stuff, and the sweet menu is equally traditional yet interesting with apple and rhubarb crumble, apple and mince strudel, bread and butter pudding, lemon and vanilla crème brulee and some great ice creams to choose from.
You can’t get more picturesque than Parbold, and I have to say they’ve done a sterling job. There wasn’t a sign of any of my old friends there and I wouldn’t trust most of them with cheese on toast so I imagine there’s been a reshuffle. If you’re in the area I’d say pop in for some nice grub.