The Rising Sun, Scholar Green – Taste Cheshire Review #Review

Stephen Wundke
1st October 2015

In a day and age when many eating establishments are a triumph of image over substance it is nice to find a pub that is exactly what it is meant to be in today’s world and that was our experience at the Rising Sun at Scholar Green, near Congleton.

The first thing that strikes you when you enter the doors of the Rising Sun is that it is still a real pub. It has a bar that is accessible on three sides, areas for quiet drinking, areas for eating and even a dart board – well being so close to the Stoke border where everyone, male and female from the age of six can throw a 180 by lunchtime, it would have to wouldn’t it? The decor feels homely and comforting and the staff welcome you immediately on arrival. We subsequently found out that this really is a family business, with parents and children providing the service throughout and it showed. Everyone cared about your experience and wanted you to enjoy being there, just like they were welcoming you in to their home, which in essence they were.

We seated ourselves in the smaller restaurant area and started about the menu’s, no small task. You need a bit of time here as there is an a’la carte menu, featuring a wide range of world favourites, a daily specials menu which uses whatever locally sourced ingredients appear in the basket on their doorstep on a daily basis and the Chefs Special menu which allows Sam, the chef to show off his undoubted talents and as Wade the owner said – keeps him buzzing in the kitchen. Interestingly Sam believes that his playing of Disney music theme songs in the kitchen keeps both front house and kitchen staff harmonious and happy when they are doing 150 covers for Sunday lunch. Well if that is what created our environment then I think a few more places could take a leaf from his book. Everyone has happy smiley faces.

I ordered the Prawn shooters for my starter which was described as three different flavours of Prawn cocktail, a traditional marie rose, chilli and ginger and tequila and lime, served in shot glasses. It was beautifully presented and the flavours within the various glasses an accurate representation of the description on the menu. It was a clean fresh start to my meal. Taste Cheshire (TC) Hannah, ordered the baked camembert with garlic ciabiatta and home made onion chutney. Perfectly cooked; when you dipped the warm ciabatta bread in to the camembert the rich golden cheese coated the bread and you then got the crisp sharp chutney to finish the sumptous flavour. These were two good starters.

For our mains I couldnt resist the description of the Rising Sun Gourmet Burger topped with crispy Parma Ham, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and gherkin. They said it was their signature dish and I believe you should live and die by that statement. They live – it was fabulous. Full of flavour, perfectly cooked and presented with chunky chips and crispy, crunchy, golden, onion rings. For £10.95 not only was it great value it was great eating. TC Hannah decided pubs are about pies and whilst there was a choice of three she decided upon the Chicken and Chorizo which came with a scrumptious short crust pastry and was full to the brim with what it should be. The one criticism was that the chicken was a little dry but that was easily remedied as they provided a small jug of a very tasty tomato and chilli sauce which was particularly moorish and moistened things up nicely.

They had an interesting array of beers, ales and lagers and Wade, the owner was proud of his ability to cajole Marstons in providing him with exactly what he wants. The half of Cock a Hoop cask bitter that I had was sharp, clean and refreshing but I think the star was the American draught Pale Ale called Shipyard (although the staff refer to it as Shipwrecked, which is what happens after 6 of these) that TC Hannah had, with its bold American hops it was both perfumed and flavoursome and went really well with our meals.

We enjoyed immensley our time at the Rising Sun, the service was without peer and the food was at the top end of a pub experience in a setting that made everyone feel comfortable, relaxed and as if people really cared about your experience. Everything we ordered and those around us, was cooked to order and whilst this may take a little longer than some of the “heavily pre-prepared” offers there is simply no replacing the tastes and flavours when a chef who cares for their ingredients and has a passion to cook creates good food for you.

The Rising Sun is a little “off the beaten track” but you really do need to put the postcode (which takes you straight there) in to the sat nav and go and enjoy proper hoome cooked food in an old fashioned family environment. Good is always good no mater what and this is.