The Squirrels Inn has long been the ‘local’ for people living in Old Duston village – in fact it was my ‘local’ when I first came to Northampton back in the 1960s.
The Squirrels Inn has long been the ‘local’ for people living in Old Duston village – in fact it was my ‘local’ when I first came to Northampton back in the 1960s. Many a convivial evening was spent there, and so the memories came flooding back last month when I visited The Squirrels to dine in the new restaurant, created this year to the design of Karim Ayoubi, who bought the pub recently.
What I remember as the old games room is now a beautiful and spacious, open-plan Victorian dining room, with reclaimed timber flooring, and kitted out with an eclectic selection of new and antique furniture. The top half of the back wall is wallpapered with a bookshelf design, while the bottom half is plush button-backed upholstered seating, running the entire width of the room.
A friendly waitress brought a bottle of Pinot Grigio to keep us company while we studied the evening menu which features six starters, ranging in price from £3.90 to £4.50, and 12 main courses, priced from £7.50 to £10.90. There is also a pizza menu, a selection of steaks from the grill, and a comprehensive bar menu.
My regular dining companion Anita chose smoked salmon and grilled asparagus with a rich hollandaise sauce, but declined the optional poached egg, followed by pan-fried duck breast with a rich plum sauce served with creamy mash and seasonal vegetables. My choices were battered calamari rings served with a crisp cucumber salad and soy sauce and lime dip, followed by rump steak with mushrooms, roasted shallots and cherry tomatoes, hand cut chunky chips and a mixed salad.
All four dishes were attractively presented and, more importantly, superbly cooked. Anita declared her duck “the best she had ever tasted” and my medium rare steak was just as ordered. No room for desserts, sadly, but an excellent meal.
Our praise was music to the ears of manager Amy Meadows as she revealed it was the sous chef’s first night. He certainly had a baptism of fire as there were 68 diners on the night of our visit – and this after a lunchtime service of 38 covers.
Food is a vital part of the pub scene these days and The Squirrels Inn appears to have found the perfect balance of still being a ‘local’ pub serving great beer and good, reasonably priced food in a warm and friendly environment.
There are special offers every day of the week from the Sunday Squirrels Roast, 3-courses for £11 Mondays, 2-for-1 pizza Tuesdays, ladies night Wednesdays, and steak night on Thursdays.
Additionally, The Squirrels is available for all types of functions, from business lunches to birthday parties and wedding receptions, and bookings for Christmas are already being taken. The Squirrels Inn, Main Road, Duston, NN5 6JF. Tel: 01604 751930. www.thesquirrelsinn.co.uk
Opening Times: Sunday 12pm-11pm, Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-1am. For restaurant hours see the website.