Our brand new seasonal summer menu has launched at The Ashford Arms.
We caught up with Group Executive Chef, Adrian Gagea, to talk about some of the dishes and the inspiration behind this new, seasonal menu.
‘This new menu is really interesting and we’ve worked hard to make sure that there are dishes for all diners. With the weather getting warmer and the amazing farms and producers in the Peak District, we’re really privileged to have access to such premium ingredients. To have fresh ingredients for our dishes from just down the road is a chef’s dream and ensures all our dishes are fresh and vibrant,’ said Adrian.
‘For this summer menu, there’s a definite hint of Mediterranean inspiration, global flavours and of course, pub classics perfected.’
‘You’ll notice for this summer menu that we’re using curing as a cooking technique in some of our fish and meat dishes. The team have enjoyed using curing as a culinary skill for this menu and the brilliant, enhanced flavours and textures it produces.’
‘Curing is one of the oldest culinary techniques and still one of the tastiest. It’s where you use salt, sugar and herbs and spices to draw moisture out of meat or fish to both preserve and intensify the flavour while firming up the texture.’
‘Let’s take the anchovies, cured tuna, grilled baby gem, ciabatta crostini, grilled lemon from the nibbles part of the menu as an example. The tuna is cured in equal parts sugar and salt with dill, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. Due to the low fat content of the tuna, it only needs 12 hours to cure.’
‘The cured salmon has a much higher fat content so it needs curing for 24 hours. We serve this starter with pickled charred cucumber, velvety mango cream cheese mousse and toasted sourdough.’
‘I’m really proud of the sandwiches on this menu. They work so well in the gardens outside with a glass of wine on a hot day. The beef pastrami that we use on the sandwiches menu is cured for 48 hours in sugar, salt, white wine and vinegar along with spices. It’s a tougher protein so it needs 48 hours to break down. Once cured, we rinse through and then re-add the herbs and spices, ready to serve in the olive ciabatta, served with pickled vegetables and horseradish crème fraîche. It is like alchemy and really is delicious.’
Balancing bold, global flavours with the best of local produce
In addition to the dishes that have been cured, there’s lots of global inspiration in the new Ashford Arms summer menu, but all made with the best Peak District produce.
Seafood lovers will adore the freshest catches from our fishmonger RG Morris & Sons based in Buxton. Dive right in to our rigatoni seafood pasta in rustic marinara sauce or the pan-fried seabass with lemon thyme velouté, chorizo and sautéed leeks. ‘This one is delicate, punchy and just the dish to try with a cold glass of white wine in the sun.’ said Adrian.
With English Wine Week just around the corner, why not try with a bottle of Henners? It’s a firm favourite here, brought to us by our award-winning Bakewell wine supplier, Hattersley Wines who say it rivals the taste of Champagne, but Henners is produced from vineyards right here in England.
For something a little different with all the best flavours of summer, don’t miss the lambchetta. It’s our Mediterranean-inspired rolled lamb dish served with Greek feta salad and grilled pitta.
For those who prefer a plant-based diet, there’s so much to choose from but the vegan crispy aubergine bites served with Asian slaw, and Korean gochujang dressing, toasted sesame seeds and pickled chillies is a brilliant choice for a starter. For your vegan main, the spiced mixed bean and courgette burger has been such a hit that we had to keep it for the summer.
Pub Classics, Perfected
Of course, it wouldn’t be The Ashford Arms without a few of our proper pub classics holding court on the menu.
Our Derbyshire homemade pie of the week is going nowhere (hooray!). It’s still served with your choice of mash or triple-cooked chips, minty crushed peas, sautéed kale and proper gravy. At the time of writing, it’s pork, tarragon and mustard pie of the day and it is unbelievably good! It’s comfort food done right.
Fish and chips? Always. Our beer-battered cod is crisp, golden, and served with all the trimmings minted mushy peas, roasted lemon and homemade tartare sauce. The beer we use for the batter is Longbow IPA from our friends Thornbridge Brewery. It’s our gluten-free beer which makes this dish super accessible for those following a gluten-free diet.
No good pub menu would be complete without the legendary steak options. We’ve kept all your favourites, from rump to fillet, served with triple-cooked chips, a smoky rarebit-stuffed mushroom and vine tomatoes. Just add peppercorn sauce (or blue cheese if you’re feeling bold). Or you might prefer your beef on a burger – The Longbow Signature burger is not to be missed! With bbq beef brisket and double cheese, our burgers are handmade using only the best cuts of locally sourced beef from New Close Farm, Over Haddon.
Inclusive Plant-Based and Gluten-Free Dining
We take inclusive dining seriously. Almost every dish on the menu can be made gluten-free, just look for the GFa symbol. Vegan dishes aren’t just an afterthought; they’re full of colour, texture, and creativity too.
The pheasant crown remains a popular gluten-free dish on the menu at The Ashford Arms and is back with a summery twist. Served with blackberry and blue cheese mousse, wrapped in pancetta and accompanied by sautéed new potatoes, green beans, bacon lardons in white wine sauce and herb emulsion.
We’ve already mentioned a few vegan dishes, but this one gets a shout-out too: at the team new menu tasting event, the pistachio courgette skewers with whipped tofu made for a vibrant starter that everyone thoroughly enjoyed – vegan or not!
Talking of tofu, the stir-fried egg noodles with Thai-style vegetables in a roasted peanut hoisin sauce can be served with maple tofu and grilled tenderstem broccoli. This makes for a really tasty and interesting vegetarian summer dish.
Don’t Skip Dessert
Trust us, dessert is not an afterthought here at The Ashford Arms! Group Executive Chef, Adrian Gagea, most definitely has a sweet tooth as he tells us in great detail about the desserts to dine for…
‘The dark chocolate mousse with cherry compote and vegan honeycomb is a must-order for chocolate lovers (and it’s plant-based too because we use maple syrup in place of honey). The exotic fruit semifreddo dessert is really interesting. It’s got mango, papaya, kiwi, dragonfruit, and passionfruit mixed in sugar to macerate and turn into a mousse. It’s so good on a summer’s day with the mint and basil flavours. We make a small caramel praline, smoke the almonds and top it with chocolate so it is gooey and crunchy all at the same time.’
As we are so close to the beautiful village of Bakewell, no dessert menu here would be complete without Bakewell tart. Ours is homemade (as are all our dishes) and is served with crème anglaise and raspberry ice cream. £1 from every sale of the Bakewell tart goes to Blythe House Hospice, so you’ll actively be doing a good deed every time you eat one!
And if you can’t decide? Order The Ashford Gourmand, our tasting platter of miniature desserts, with your choice of espresso, fizz or dessert wine. Sharing is, of course, optional.
Book Now
With a passionate kitchen team, incredible local suppliers, and a real commitment to quality, the new Ashford Arms summer menu is one worth travelling for.
Book now and come see (and taste) what we’ve been working on. Click here to book your table.
Please note: images are for illustration purposes only and may differ from the dishes on the new menu.
