The Peacock, Oakerthorpe

Just back from, among other things, lunch with my aunt at the amazing Peacock in Oakerthorpe, which is near Alfreton.

First off, they do a special menu comprising soup of the day followed by a roast beef, pork, lamb or turkey dinner for just £2.95 (though advertised as £3.95 on the website). Judging by the amount of people packed in, it's undoubtedly popular and it's what my aunt opted for. The soup is delivered almost immediately, with the sizeable main course arriving soon afterwards.

I went for the main menu, opting for the soup of the day (minestrone), followed by royal game pie, which comprised diced venison, rabbit and pheasant (I estimate the pie was 95% meat) in a red wine sauce, served as all proper pies are in a dish with a crust that was somewhere between a scone and a dumpling in texture. This was served on a 15" plate with chips, peas, carrots and onions. At £7.95 it's an utter triumph and I probably won't need to eat again for another 24 hours.

The Peacock itself is very historic, dating as far back as the 11th century and the website has an excellent overview of its history - http://www.peacockoakerthorpe.co.uk.

One neat little feature in the restaurant is a glass panel in the floor which looks down into the cellar - complete with skeleton!

I cannot recommend this place highly enough.