The Little Castle

If you are traveling on the M1, chances are you will miss this ‘services’. I say ‘services’ because this is actually located between two, well-​posted services on the M1 and this, even though it looks grand-​spanking new, is not posted and to be fair you’d have to go through a couple of roundabouts to get to it.
Besides a petrol station, a drive-​thru fast food chain, and yes a drive-​thru Starbucks, there is the Little Castle, a Marston’s pub/​restaurant. As you are walking in, there is quite a bit of seating outside, including one area that is covered and next to a very nice play area for children. As you walk in the door, you’ll notice a sign about parking. If you think you may stay over three hours, you need to put your car’s registration number into a machine so you avoid a fine.
Just inside the door there is a host stand with a sign. Sometimes the sign says ‘Please wait here to be seated’ and other times it says ‘Please find a seat and place your order at the bar’. Of the times we have been here, any staff we have come into contact with have been quite friendly and extremely helpful. For example, the time I knocked over the Malt Vinegar bottle on the table, one of the waitresses came over and offered help, either to reseat us or bring more towels.
The décor is quite modern and looks quite new. There is plenty of varied seating… high tables, benches, booths… also a nice selection of tables for large groups. The menu is fairly varied as well. There are pub classics, like Fish and Chips or Burgers, but they also have some not-​so-​traditional options, for example the Butternut Squash, Red Wine, and Tomato Tagliatelle. In fact on our first visit, we ordered off of the 2 for £10 menu (yes they have one and make sure to ask for it as it doesn’t appear to be on every table) I had a Vegetarian Pie that was really quite delicious!
I have had something different each time and to be honest, we haven’t had a bad meal yet. On our most recent visit, we decided to give the carvery a go since we always see everyone in the restaurant with it. You can choose your size plate: small, medium, or large. We went with medium and to be quite honest, depending on how you stack your plate, it is more than enough food! When we went up, the staff behind the counter said that we could have one of each of the meats if we wanted… so we did :). They had gammon, turkey, and roast beef. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a Yorkshire Pudding and some sage and onion stuffing. Then you get to help yourself to the veg: peas, carrots, corn, roast potatoes, new potatoes, braised red cabbage, and cauliflower cheese. Behind that area is a condiment and gravy area.
Having been to a number of carveries, I managing my expectations, but I have to say that it is one of the better carveries we have had. In fact, all of the meats were quite tender, even though they may have been out for some time. To be honest, the only thing I wasn’t quite impressed with were the roast potatoes… they were a bit on the soggy/​chewy side and I’m not a huge fan of stuffing either.
You may also notice on your way to and from the carvery, a lovely display of cakes. On their dessert menu you can order a slice of these cakes… including a Red Velvet Cheesecake. I don’t mean a red cheesecake, but Red Velvet Cake with Cheesecake. Not sure how their’s is done, but I imagine it is much like one I baked where there is a cheesecake layer sandwiched between two layers of cake. I’ve not had their version, but it is on my list! If you are too full or are in a hurry, you can get a slice to go. Yes, in the month that we have lived nearby, I have considered driving down just to get a slice of cake. It is dangerous.
The prices are quite reasonable and they do have some lighter lunch/​snack options, so you don’t have to worry about massive meals. I know it is a chain, but actually I think they are doing a very good job of being a bit better than the average chain pub/​restaurant. It certainly seems popular with the locals, so hopefully they continue to do a great job!