Turns out they serve a whole lot more than craft beer...
You won’t find any old junk at Junkyard. When we heard there was a new menu, we popped in for something to eat.
Head chef Jono talked us through the food; his ethos is all about taking pub classics, using quality, locally sourced ingredients, and giving a twist you won’t find in your local Hungry Horse.
We selected a few dishes from the Bites section first. Beer-butter prawns (£6.50) came shell-on, meaning devilishly filthy fingers to devour the sweet, juicy boggers with. Then we had the salty, fried padron peppers (£5) and plumped for the ubiquitous mac and cheese (£6). Stop searching for dairy pasta perfection. It’s here. Gorgeously gooey cheese is cut through by gin-macerated onions that give a comforting but exciting forkful. Mac-nificent.
From the Biggest Bites section, we chomped on chicken thighs (£11). This isn’t your usual boozer-based chicken and chips, however. Confited in a rich, barbecue sauce with fries and creamy ‘slaw, and crowned with a brilliantly brittle shard of chicken skin, this chook died a noble death.
With a bitterly cold wind up, it was time for a nice, hot pud. The sticky toffee pudding (£5) came with an indulgent, hazelnut-porter-laced toffee sauce cloaking soft sponge, plus honeycomb and ice cream.
Junkyard is best known for its ace craft beers, and the knowledgeable staff selected a couple of real rippers. Wylam and Whiplash collab Veer Towards Chaos (7%, £4.70 for two thirds) complemented the rich food, while the berry notes of Pomona Island’s Don’t Fear the BIPA (6.5%, £4.50 for two thirds) matched the pud perfectly. The companion’s Warner Edwards rhubarb G&T (£6.25) was also a delight, I was assured.
With the beloved brunch menu now back too, it’s time to jog on down to Junkyard.
12 Bridlesmith Walk, Nottingham NG1 2HB. 0115 950 1758
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