“It reminds me of the Rovers Return,” declared Mrs Eats on our arrival at the Ship Inn.
Whether this a good thing or a bad thing, or course, comes down to your personal predilections – but the Ship is certainly firmly at the traditional end of the pub spectrum, with its muted colours and highly patterned carpets and wallpaper.
Decor aside, we remembered being chuffed with our meals when we last visited the place in Benton, Newcastle, a few years back. So did it manage to please us again to the same degree? The answer to that would be a resounding yes.
There are still no starters served, and the meats on offer on this particular Sunday – turkey, gammon and beef – differed from those on the board, which promised lamb, pork and chicken as well as beef, but our roast dinners were flawless.
To a soundtrack of Smooth Radio – played at a sensible level, and with a slightly crackly reception which only added to the relaxed, retro Sunday vibe, I enjoyed some truly succulent turkey, while Mrs E plumped for beef, which she enjoyed, even if she didn’t rave about it.
The mashed potatoes really got her enthused, though – and rightly so. They were creamy, flavoursome perfection.
You might not get the range of veg you’ll find at other pubs at the Ship Inn, but it is, of course, quality rather than quantity that counts in the end, and we had that in abundance. The cabbage, peas and carrots all tasted super-fresh – and like they’d been cooked by someone who knew exactly what to do with them all.
The stuffing was excellent, and the Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes pleased us too. Special mention should go to the gravy, which had that homemade quality we long for, and which Mrs Eats called “delicious” – praise indeed from her.
Served in a pleasingly old-fashioned metal gravy boat, it was everything gravy should be – rich without being over-thick, full of flavour, and a perfect complement to the meat and potatoes. We liked it so much we asked for another boat of it.
There was a small disappointment for Mrs E when it turned out there was no horseradish sauce to go with her beef, but the staff were personable about that and everything else, and made us feel welcome at all times.
We had opted for the full-size meals, which have gone up by 50p since 2016 to £6.95 – and are still worth every penny. Small portions are served for £4.95, and children’s ones – which include ice cream – for £3.95.
As for our own desserts, from the choices of sticky toffee pudding, chocolate brownie and raspberry pie, I went for the pie (£3). The staff picked up on the fact that none of the choices had grabbed Mrs E and offered us a trio of ice creams (£2.50). The offer – and the offering – pleased her.
My pie, which I opted to have with a scoop of ice cream rather than custard, was a smallish, or rather sensible-sized, slice, but it was certainly a satisfying end to the meal. In fact it was delightful, and it was good to see a relatively unusual dessert on offer.
Food apart, there was one more novelty before I left. The pub’s urinals contain plastic goalposts with mini footballs hanging off them – the idea being, presumably, to challenge us gents to hit them!
