Getting yourself lost sometimes leads to finding a new favourite meal spot. After a day buzzing around Chatsworth gardens with two increasingly hangry children, I botched the navigation home and missed the turning for the Cavendish at Baslow. Too hungry to backtrack and too realistic about our chances of blagging a table without a reservation anyway, we ended up at the Peacock at Owler Bar instead, perched on a Peak District hilltop where Sheffield's urban sprawl meets Derbyshire's rolling countryside. Yes I am finally writing about a local Sheffield food spot!
The car park offers pleasant views, slightly compromised by the A-road roundabout below. You won't forget you're at a roadside pub, but the landscape beyond makes up for the occasional passing lorry.
What's clever about the Peacock is how it sources from both sides of its geographical fence. The kitchen pulls ingredients from the Peak District's farms and Sheffield's suppliers, crafting food with a sense of place. It's a pub that cares about its supply chain.
Most welcome on a chilly May Day Monday afternoon was the blazing fire – an unexpected treat that immediately boosted the comfort factor. Nothing says "we care about your experience" quite like lighting a fire when the calendar says it's spring but the Peak District weather disagrees. The fireplace was surrounded by modern pub styling. Peacock-themed wallpaper provides a thematic touch.
Skipping starters, I tackled the pheasant crown (£24.95) - a standout dish of tender game meat paired with blackberry and blue cheese. On paper, this sounds like a combination dreamt up after too many Thornbridge ales, but it worked surprisingly well. The blue cheese was applied with restraint rather than abandon, the berries added necessary acidity, and the creamy carrot purée underneath tied everything together.
My wife's stir-fried noodles with sirloin steak (£21.95) showed off the kitchen's range. The beef, properly pink and sliced against the grain, sat on noodles laced with just enough peanut hoisin sauce to make them interesting without drowning them.
The kids' fish and chips arrived without the usual apologetic look that accompanies children's food. The batter was properly crisp, the fish inside actually resembled fish rather than reconstituted whatever, and the triple-cooked chips prompted fork-thieving from parents. The kitchen had bothered to put proper garden peas in a side dish rather than mushing them into submission – a small detail that suggests they care about feeding children actual food rather than beige placeholders.
Dessert continued the trend. The kids demolished ice cream with the focus of archaeologists uncovering treasure, while my wife and I shared a sultana crumble (£9.95) that balanced sweetness with texture.
My espresso arrived looking the part but slightly overdone – a minor blip I happily overlooked given everything else had been so good. Being the designated driver meant skipping the Thornbridge Longbow IPA that caught my eye – a regret that practically guarantees a return visit.
Service throughout struck the perfect note – staff who seemed genuinely happy to be working there, attentive without hovering.
For a meal that began as a navigation error, it ended as something of a revelation. The Peacock at Owler Bar sits in that sweet spot where good food meets good atmosphere without the theatrical nonsense that plagues too many country pubs with ambitions. It's a proper pub that happens to serve excellent pub-grub-plus, rather than a restaurant awkwardly pretending to be a pub or the other way around.
Sometimes getting lost is the best way to find exactly what you're looking for. I'll be back - next time on purpose, and with someone else driving so I can properly investigate that beer menu.
Rating: 8/10 – Worth the detour, accidental or otherwise.