Situated in the rural and picturesque village of Ledsham, the Chequers Inn is a quintessential English village pub. Dating from the 16th century the impressive building has retained its historic charm, maintaining numerous beamed rooms with log fires providing secluded spaces for intimate dining whilst preserving a traditional bar area to socialise with family and friends.
We visited the Chequers on a mild mid-week winter evening and were immediately welcomed and shown to a table set in one of the numerous low beamed dining areas.
Browsing the comprehensive menu and specials board we were impressed with the wide-ranging choices, there was also a choice of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dishes all homemade. They offer the option of removing any ingredients or making minor changes to suite your taste. This was not something we required, and we had our meals as the chef had intended them.
In addition to an extensive wine list offering a selection of over 40 different wines, catering for every taste and budget, there is a small selection of fine wine available by the glass. This is done using the highly praised Coravin preservation technology, the wine is extracted from the bottle without exposing the remainder of the wine to any oxygen, ensuring the quality of the last glass is equal to the first. An excellent option if you like to pair wine to your dishes, want to try different wines or do not fancy a full bottle. I began with the halloumi fries, topped with a sweet chilli mayo, sprinkled with pomegranate and coriander whilst my wife was eager to try the pan-seared king scallops, served on a cauliflower puree, with chorizo and crispy onions. Both dishes looked amazing and proved to be a real pleasure, setting the standard exceedingly high.
The main courses were equally delicious, the pan roasted hake, presented on a bed of creamed potatoes in sea of shellfish saffron bisque with a selection of mussels looked stunning. I had chosen the classic British bangers and mash and for a moment I thought I had made a mistake; however, I need not have worried as I was served with a trio of Sykes house farm sausages served on creamed potatoes, meaty gravy, garnished with pickled red cabbage. Whilst we are fortunate with several pubs and restaurants offering Sykes farm products in our area the quality of the ingredients is only one element of a wonderful dish, the culinary imagination of the chef aligned with their technical skills preparing and presenting the dishes are the key distinction. The team at the Chequers have all these qualities, and it shows in the food they serve.
Having two lovely courses with good portion sizes, it would have been easy to skip desserts, but they looked so tempting we opted to share a biscoff cheesecake, coated in a rich sauce with toffee ice cream. A perfect end to a wonderful evening. I can’t wait to repeat the whole dining experience sat outside on the large, terraced patio surrounded by manicured foliage on an English summer evening. Would we order the same again? Absolutely!
Contact us
The Chequers Inn
Ledsham, Leeds LS25 5LP.
Tel. 01977 683135
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