Location
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The High Park, Bradley Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1PZ.
Initial Impressions
The High Park is an Eating Inn venue (part of the Greene King group) on Bradley Road in Huddersfield. The location has its own, large, free car park outside.
The High Park was visited on a weekday afternoon, and there were still quite a few people inside when it was entered, although the level of custom had declined and it was nearly empty when left.
As well as the main menu, there are a number of specials available, as well as the Golden Years menu.
The place has table service, which is unusual for this type of pub-style eating place. On entering, you are shown to a table, and then all orders are placed from it, so it isn’t necessary to go to the bar to order more food and drinks. The food is also paid for at the end of the meal, rather than at the beginning, giving a much more restaurant like feel rather than that of the more common pubs where food is ordered, and paid for in advance, at the bar.
The tables have napkins, cutlery, salt and pepper grinders and a jug of vinegar; other condiments need to be asked for, and were brought over in a small individual dish.
The Food
Two drinks were ordered; a small bottle of Strathmore Clear sparkling mineral water and a large Coke. The Strathmore Clear was an individual bottle, but the Coke was draught, and the latter was as good as can be expected from a draught soft drink.
The main course and desserts were ordered from the Extra Value two for £9.99 menu, although the mains cost £1 extra. A starter, sweet or both could be added from a limited selection for £2.50 each. The starter was ordered from the normal menu.
Starter
The starter ordered was a Flatbread. This came with a choice of two different toppings, with the chicken, chorizo, red pepper tapenade, rocket and cheese one chosen. The flatbread was about 6″ in diameter and was served on a wooden platter, and accompanied with a pizza cutter.
This was classed as a dish for one person, but there was enough for two people to share for a reasonable sized starter. The rocket on top of the flatbread was a bit odd; it wasn’t that there was anything wrong with it, it just seemed to have placed on it as a bit of an afterthought. The flatbread was slightly crispy around the edge, but hadn’t been overcooked and was easy enough to cut with both the pizza cutter and cutlery.
Main Course
Both main courses were the same, Hunters Chicken. This was a chicken breast covered in smoked bacon, barbecue sauce and Cheddar cheese, and were in an individual dish on the plate.
The chicken had presumably been heated under a grill in its individual dish once cooked to melt the cheese on top it, and unfortunately it was just a bit too overdone, making it dry around the edges. Once the middle of the chicken was reached, it was much better, although the cheese, being on top, was a bit on the crispy side. The barbecue sauce and smoked bacon added a definitely different flavour to the chicken.
The chicken was accompanied by chips, which were slightly overdone, and an undressed salad of mixed leaves and chopped, red onions, tomato and cucumber.
Dessert
Both desserts were ordered from the Extra Value menu. The first dessert was a slice of Chocolate Fudge Cake, which was served hot and could be accompanied with either double cream or a scoop of clotted cream vanilla ice cream, the latter of which was chosen. There was a pretty substantial wedge of cake on the plate, and it was quite flavoursome.
The second dessert was Clotted Cream Ice Cream, which was two scoops of vanilla clotted cream ice cream and could come with chocolate, strawberry or toffee sauce, but was chosen plain. This was served in a bowl on a wooden board.
The clotted cream ice cream was richer than normal ice cream, and was a bit different. Of the two desserts, the chocolate fudge cake was definitely better value for money, as they were both the same price and its accompaniment was half of the other dessert.
My Review
The cost of the meal came to £25.48 including drinks, which isn’t bad for a meal of this size from a pub-style eating place. Having table service was a definite plus, especially if you were eating by yourself, but the prices of some of the dishes were a bit higher than their comparables in other places that lack table service, so you are paying for it. All the service was friendly, and in general quite fast. Apart from the Hunters Chicken being slightly overcooked, the food was nice.
The High Park is a not too expensive place to eat with the added benefit of table service, although the food was not quite as good as it could have been, due to being slightly overcooked.
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