CityLife

Eagle And Child

The Eagle And Child

PUNCH Taverns’ decision to sell some of its best boozers to smaller chains must be good news for everyone who loves a good pub.

These companies generally see their buildings as property assets rather than places communities cherish as havens of convivial drinking and, increasingly, cuisine.  

Small chains, and most regional brewers, know their only hope of making a profit is to keep customers happy.

The Ainscough group of hotels, restaurants and pubs sets the bar high. It owns a few top-notch restaurants, including the Wizard at Alderley Edge, and a posh hotel or two. It also has the Eagle And Child pub, at Bispham Green, near Parbold.  

The pub has long had a reputation for fine food – it was the county’s dining pub of the year in 2005 – and it also will give a warm glow to real ale lovers who want something a little different, while whisky drinkers will marvel at its range.

There was Bill Monks Ale, from Derwent brewery, Moorhouses Black Cat mild, Golden Arrow, from Somerset brewer Cottage, and Copper Dragon’s Golden Pippin among its six-or-so hand pumps – but the pub also regularly has beers from Southport Brewery, which I had not tried before.

Their light Sandgrounder was wonderfully floral and highly hopped, much like the décor in The Eagle And Child, which has dried hops hanging from every dark-wood beam.  

Tables for diners are around the convivial bar and in the atmospheric, low-ceiling dining room at the back. Food is of an award-winning standard and booking is advisable.

To start, we shared some of the famous Eagle And Child smokies – three types of smoked fish, bacon and a creamy sauce (£7). Spotted among the mains were roe deer and pigeon but we went for a fine ribeye steak with Caesar salad (£13.50) and an inventive garlic roast breast of chicken with chicken liver pate (£13).  The veg had crunch and there are good children’s meals, too.

Our kids had gammon steak with pineapple (£5) and a big curly banger and mash (£4.50). The traditional puddings, at £4.50, defeated us.

We were also defeated by the weather when we wanted to stroll around the pleasant beer garden.

But come summer you can sit out and watch the dodderers play bowls on the green next door. A great template for a British pub. Lets hope Ainscoughs makes Punch an offer for some more.