CityLife

The Clog and Billycock

PUB quiz question number 958. What is a billycock? Is it:  

a) the bizarre offspring of a cross-bred chicken and goat

b) a type of titfer

c)  a pub where the north west’s fine cuisine is gloriously celebrated.

The answer? Both b and c.

Plug in your satnav and search out this attractively converted and atmospheric pub restaurant, part of the excellent Ribble Valley Inns chain in this leafy, well-heeled country village.

Cask beers are exclusively from Thwaites, which partly paid for last year’s £1.3m refurbishment of the building  including Nutty Black mild, Wainwright, Original and Lancaster Bomber.

Suppliers heralded

Though there were some drinkers in the narrow bar area, mainly supping from the extensive wine list, most were here for the food.

Like the other three RVI pubs – The Three Fishes, at Mitton,  The Highwayman, at Kirkby Lonsdale and The Bull near Skipton – the kitchen’s suppliers are heralded in photos on the walls and on the tablemats, and all 33 of them are name-checked on a map on the menu.

I wonder if they will reprint if they have a falling out over the size of the caulies?

Overpowering parsley mash

Seasonality is also celebrated and it especially was in my terrific starter of lamb sweetbreads with broad beans and peas, which came with a slightly overpowering parsley and caper mash (£5.75).

Opposite was a one-dimensional but impressive opener of three types of chipolatas – black pudding, Cumberland and Gloucester Old Spot (£3.50).

Nostalgia drove me to choose a main of scampi and chips (£14.50). If anyone can revive this former pub staple, RVI can.

Too oily

Unfortunately, I think it should have remained a seventies (wicker) basket case. My battered scampi was far too oily, and the shellfish a tad tasteless. Good chips and crushed peas, though.

Opposite was greater success. Fillet steak to die for, though it should have been at £19.80, the price bracket of most mid-quality restaurants.

It was a wonderful piece of meat, which reflected RVI’s impeccable sourcing and was handled with due reverence by the kitchen.

Provenance played a big part in the cheeseboard (£7.50 for five), which we shared and included Blacksticks Blue and Mrs Kirkham’s mild and creamy Lancashire.

Definitely a pub to doff your billycock to.

Clog And Billycock, Billinge End Road, Pleasington, BB2 6QB (01254 201163).

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