The Ultimate Guide to Chester & Cheshire Autumn 2018

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32 by The Hollies
A local farm shop branches out into boutique hotel and
restaurant territory – Susie Stubbs finds out whether it
can set the bar for local food, well made.
We’d just been served lunch
at 32 by The Hollies, the
latest venture from one of
Cheshire’s most successful
food and drink operations,
when there came a lull in
conversation. Plates freshly
laid on table, for a few
moments too busy to talk,
my daughter took advantage
of the quiet to pipe up:
“Mummy, is it polite to eat
with your mouth open?”
“Not really,” I replied,
thinking what a lovely, clear
voice she had.
“Then why is that lady
behind us doing it?”
she said, in that lovely,
clear voice.
My son snorted, my husband
choked on his avocado, and
my daughter returned to
her food, apparently not
requiring an answer, what
with the two women sat
behind us going awfully quiet
and all – though perhaps
she was also distracted by
the towering burger in front
of her.
You can tell much by the
way a restaurant treats its
young clientele. Granted,
they tend to be a fussy
and undiscerning lot, but
children deserve more than
the straight-outta-freezer or
jar-on-pasta meals they’re
so often served. So, you can
draw your own conclusions
at a kids’ menu here that
included a deli board (honey
roast ham, local cheese,
hummus and veg) and baked
salmon (with mash rather
than chips). It also featured
a burger whose handmade
patty had been griddled
for flavour, a thick slice
of smoked bacon draped
appealingly on top, melting
mozzarella laid beneath.
The bun was fat, fresh and
crackled with corn. Fries
and a credible side salad
also made a showing. All
in all, it was a kids’ meal
that was as generous as it
was grown-up, and saw my
10-year-old son later having
to have a lie-down, too full
for ice-cream.
32