The Bluebell Inn, Farnah Green,

The Bluebell Inn
Farnah Green,
Belper,
Derbyshire
DE56 2UP


On a rare weekday off from work a few friends decided to go out and explore the countryside around Derbyshire and of course this included a lunch out at one of our fine hostelries.

We made our way through Belper and ended up at The Bluebell at Farnah Green.

It is one of those places that I've known of for ever and yet never actually made it up there.

Set back on the through road in the village it seemed from the outside to be a fairly normal country pub.

The Restaurant side

On entering there were tables set in the 'pub side' and an airy purple restaurant side, eating with a baby/toddler we were guided to the quieter (empty) restaurant side.


The menu was a more basic pub grub affair not as 'frilly' as in days gone by, it has recently undergone a change in management.

There was a good choice with some very reasonable prices too!



Venison Sausage and Mash

Myself and a friend chose venison sausages on a bed of onions and mash served with a black peppercorn cream sauce. The sausage was a local one, firm and meaty with a hint of nutmeg and black pepper in the background. The mash was fluffy and fresh complemented by the onions (red). The sauce was the only 'let-down really, if it were not for the pepper in the sausage I would have thought I was eating Ikea's meatball cream sauce!
 

A very good looking Fish & Chips!

Others ordered fish and chips which was a large portion of freshly (according to the menu?!) battered fish served with chips and either mushy or fresh peas.
Tartare sauce and freshly cut chips complemented a large fresh piece of haddock.





Chicken Curry and Rice (Chips in another bowl!)

 

Another meal ordered was a chicken curry (no specific style named) which again was big, plenty of meat in a thick curry sauce served with rice. My friend asked for chips instead and they were served in an extra bowl along with the rice - carb overload!

All in all the meals were all of a good size and freshly prepared and served, we did feel a little on our own in the restaurant but we did make the most of that as we were not exactly quiet, and that wasn't down to the baby!
After clearing we had a look at the dessert menu and again there was a good selection of British pudding standards.

Banoffee Cheesecake
(sorry no photos of the other sweets)

Two of us chose the above Banoffee cheesecake which was thick and tasty with a a good layer of 'Dulce de Leche' in the bottom. There was a flavour of banana but I would have preferred a little more 'real' fresh banana in mine 

ice cream was also ordered as was coffee finishing off a good and fairly reasonable lunch out.
Somewhere nice to pop out to, not too far and yet you get a real feeling of being in the countryside, looking back over the townscape of Belper.