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The Spread Eagle
By Geraldine May
 It's the local village pub - but is also rapidly gaining a reputation for its fine food.
The Spread Eagle in Darrington, on the outskirts of Pontefract and just a stone's throw from the A1, is in new hands with landlord and landlady Alan and Sue at the helm. Part of their plans for the future include developing the food side of the business - and, so far, everything appears to be going to plan.
Already Sunday lunch is in great demand with choices of traditional roasts, fish and vegetarian dishes. Booking is advisable for Sunday lunch to ensure you get a table.
However, with an ex-Royal Navy chef now leading the kitchen team, feeding the masses shouldn't be a problem for a man used to cooking for a ship full of hungry mouths.
Along with the chef, Alan and Sue have taken great pains to create a menu which has something for everyone, all tastes and all budgets.
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At lunchtime, diners can choose from blackboard specials and light bites including sandwiches and jacket potatoes, all served from 12noon to 2pm Monday to Saturday.
In the evening, served from 5.30pm, there is also a choice of blackboard specials along with a full menu of starters, grills, fish dishes, vegetarian choices and the ‘something different' selection.
We paid a visit to The Spread Eagle on a cold, rainy evening at the end of February. The ample car park was filling up nicely and the pub was busy with locals enjoying a pint and a few diners were enjoying their meal. I ordered a glass of red wine while looking at the menu and was surprised to hear I had a choice of Shiraz or Merlot. The chosen Merlot went down a treat and was surprisingly good for `wine by the glass'.
Looking at the menu, I was a little spoilt for choice but decided on Chicken Breast in a creamy Mushroom and Stilton sauce. Served with a choice of new potatoes, mashed or chips and seasonal vegetables, it was extremely tasty but quite rich and filling. I'm afraid I had to leave just a little - but then again, you have to leave room for a pudding.
My youngest son, who went with me to The Spread Eagle and very kindly offered to drive, chose a filllet steak from the menu. However, instead of opting for the accompanying stout and Stilton gravy, he asked instead if it could be served medium rare with chips and salad. Fine, that's what chef would do for him and I must admit, it did look good when it arrived on the table.
So that was the main courses tucked away, now time for the sweet tooth to kick in. A good choice of puddings, priced £2.95, was on offer and included many traditional favourites such as hot sponges.
I opted for the Irish Cream Lumpy Bumpy and my son chose the Lemon and Lime Cheesecake. Both were delicious and soon disappeared.
Another glass of wine later, we had had our full and left for the drive home. Luckily the weather had dried up and we had a pleasant drive home.
The Spread Eagle and its new landlord and landlady all deserve to do well. The menu certainly caters for all tastes and the food is tasty and well presented.
All ingredients for the menu are sourced locally, from the Darrington butcher and from The Vegetable Patch in nearby Carlton, run by Sue's son.
The Spread Eagle - Darrington, Pontefract - 01977 699 698
Published Spring 2007. All information correct at time of print
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