There are some amazing places to eat in Fence. We've had some brilliant meals in the past around these parts, but in dire need of a pit stop to feed my baby's hungry tum we stumbled across The White Swan which from the outside looked very unassuming... However, the food was out of this world.
Here is the run down...
Fresh bread and homemade butter
Warm and yummy. The butter was light and mousse like.
Organic glazehill lamb shepherd's pie, glazed shallots
Rich and heart warming, under the mash lay some gorgeously slow cooked lamb in a rich gravy.
Sticky ox-tongue, marrowbone, roots and pickles
Gorgeous meat which contrasted well with the sharp flavours of the roots and pickles.
Dexter beef fillet, red wine sauce, triple cooked chips and Bearnaise sauce
Both pieces of meat were to die for, perfectly pink and melt in the mouth. The lamb came with mash and the beef with chips, both with a deep silky gravy.
Yorkshire rhubarb, panacotta, blood orange and sasparilla
A pretty, light and cleansing end to the meal.
The only minor criticism I had was that the mains didn't come with any greens. However, the meal came with lots of extra bonuses like the bread and homemade butter and some gorgeous homemade truffles at the end so all is forgiven.
We chatted to the people sat next to us who drive an hour from Southport regularly just to eat here. Says it all, it's definitely an eatery worth a long drive.
Quick run down of the facilities. The White Swan were very accommodating seeing as we rolled up unannounced on a Saturday lunchtime with a baby in tow. They have a variety highchairs, the wooden ones and those you strap to a chair with a tray. I didn't spot a kiddies menu but I'd brought my daughter's food with us and in a rush to get her fed I didn't think to ask. There was space for changing in the ladies and we had a little boogie to the music playing in the loos.
Overall we had an unexpected and fabulous lunch out, a really chilled experience and the attention to detail was second to none. The service was excellent, the staff are absolutely lovely.
I'd love to come back to try the tasting menu and the homemade spirits.
Its no wonder they've won a Michelin Bib Gourmand, Two Rosettes, a place in the Good Food Guide and Lancashire Life Dining Pub of the Year 2016.
They are having a Lancashire tapas night this month... I hope we can go... sounds like a match made in heaven!
