Ring of Bells – Christleton’s Culinary Oasis #Review
Gaile Wundke
19th January 2017
Many years ago, I remember going to the Ring O’Bells for a drink with friends. It seemed that someone hadn’t done their homework as we found ourselves in a tired old pub populated by some equally tired old locals. Fortunately, sometime later, Ian Wade came along, completely transformed the place into a stylish country pub, woke up the locals and gave Christleton something they had been missing for years, he put the heart back into the community.
As a family, we have been to the Ring O’Bells many times and have always enjoyed its relaxed atmosphere, so it was a pleasure to accept an invitation to pop along and sample the menu, particularly as we might have needed cheering up as our visit took place on Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year!
However, despite the dismal weather, typical of a January evening, it was quite obvious when we arrived that Blue Monday hadn’t cast its shadow over the Ring O’Bells. We were welcomed by Sarah who firstly offered us a table in the conservatory, but as we’d come to review ‘The Bells’ as a pub, we decided to sit in the main bar area.
Every Monday at lunch and dinner is the 2 for 1 burger offer and we could see that this was a popular choice with the other diners and not surprisingly, with two meals for the price of one it makes eating out an affordable regular option for most pockets!
We were given both the burger and main menus and Sarah told us that there was also a ‘special burger’ on offer! Water was brought to the table and we ordered a bottle of Chilean, La Laguna Sauvignon Blanc £18.00.
For starters we chose, Fritto Misto Calamari & Whitebait, Salsa Verde & Aioli £5.95, Pork Spare Ribs Chinese Style £6.50 and Crab Cakes, Creamed Corn & Watercress £7.50. Interestingly the menu also had a note to say that gluten free bread was available and that ‘all food is produced in a kitchen that handles the majority of allergens’, something which I’m sure is welcomed by many diners.
Our starters were very good, the crab cakes were crisp on the outside, soft and moist inside and the creamed corn went surprisingly well, balanced by the fresh pepperiness of the watercress. The calamari and whitebait in the Fritto Misto were hot, crisp and well-seasoned and it was a surprisingly generous portion! However, the star of the starters were the ribs, big thick and meaty and so well cooked the meat literally fell off the bone, utterly delicious with a sticky unxious finger licking sauce!
For mains we opted for Margherita Pizza – Tomato, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Fresh Basil Leaves (v) £8.50, Poached Salmon Salad – Kale, Walnut, Apple, Parmesan & Lemon £13.00 (this is also available as a small portion for £6.50) with a side order of Sweet Potato Fries £3.75 and finally the ‘Special Burger’ served in a brioche bun with fries and coleslaw, topped with American cheese, chilli, pesto and bacon £11.95. The burger was excellent and got a huge thumbs up, the pizzas are made on the premises, hand stretched and stone baked resulting in a pizza which is both authentic and rustic and delivered to the table with a proper pizza cutter, adding a fun element. The combination of flavours in the salad worked really well, the rich salmon complimented by the sharp freshness of apple, the walnuts adding texture and an earthy flavour and the kale bursting with superfood goodness. It was an unexpectedly filling salad, so the wonderfully crisp sweet potato fries were unfortunately a little neglected!
Sarah came to see if we would like dessert and out of interest we asked what she would recommend. She told us that the most popular dessert by far was the Jam Roly Poly with custard which we all found amazing as having worked our way through two generous courses, finding room for such a filling pud would have taken a small miracle! Sarah suggested we might like to try the Chocolate & Baileys Pot with Chantilly Cream (v) £6.25 and we also chose Three Scoops of Cheshire Farm Vanilla Ice Cream £5.25 and to go with it for an additional £1.50, a warm Belgian Waffle & Butterscotch Sauce.
I am usually reluctant to choose a chocolate pot from a menu as they are often dense and too rich at the end of a meal, but this one was light, not at all cloying and polished off rather too quickly! The waffle with its topping of the always delicious Cheshire Farm Ice Cream and Butterscotch Sauce was another hit and I would recommend anyone ordering the ice cream to have the waffle as well, the contrast of hot and cold with the sticky sauce was scrumptious!
The Ring O’Bells has come a long way from the time I first visited, it has a great atmosphere, good food and lovely staff, our waitress Sarah really was excellent. In warmer weather there is a very nice outside seating area and a children’s play area and the large conservatory not only serves to accommodate more diners, but it can be booked to host a celebration or special event and when the sun shines, the fully retractable doors create a perfect inside/outside space. Added to that are regular coffee mornings, a Saturday breakfast club and of course the ever-popular Sunday Roast.
Finally, and in my opinion most importantly, every Wednesday is 2-4-1 Pizza Night and anyone not wanting their free pizza can ‘pay it forward’ to the homeless of Chester, by simply advising their server at the time of ordering, and for every ‘Charity Chicken Burger’ ordered, £1 is donated to a good cause or charity, currently The Waverton Play Area, a truly inspired idea.
The Ring O’Bells is just what a village needs. Well done Ian Wade, it was a very happy day when you decided to make this part of Chester your home.
Ring O’ Bells
Village Road, Christleton, Chester, CH3 7AS
The Ring O'Bells is a shining example of a 21st century country pub - providing visitors with a warm welcome, a great range of local cask ales and a quality home cooked meal
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