The Kicking Cuddy, County Durham

Jan 21 2007 By Eddy Eats, The Sunday Sun

Telephone Number: 0919 377 8808

There is a philosophical point of view that when one door closes another one will open. This week's scran fully subscribes to that pearl of wisdom.

Mrs Eats and I had set off with the intention of reviewing the Duke Of Wellington pub in Nevilles Cross, Durham.

It's a pub we have been to a few times before on a weekday evening and the grub isn't bad.

With this in mind I thought the pub was long overdue a visit from Mr Eats in his professional capacity. So up we rolled in the trusty Eatsmobile at 1.45pm.

I approached the bar and enquired what cuts of meat were available with Sunday lunch. "Beef and chicken" came the reply "But we've sold all the beef."

So that'll be chicken then, I thought as I ordered a pint of Stella for me and a large white for She Who Must Be Fed.

We found a table and looked at a menu to decide if we wanted a starter.

After deciding to plough straight into the main course I returned to the bar. Only to be told "Sorry we've sold out of chicken now".

In the two minutes I had been at my seat they had sold out of Sunday lunches - all before 2pm. Not good enough - not by a long shot!

I did suggest to Mrs E that perhaps we could have something from the normal menu but she gave me a very stern look and said "Don't be so foolish - it's Sunday". Mrs E can get very grumpy if she doesn't get a traditional roast dinner on a Sunday when she's in the mood for one.

So we finished off our drinks jumped back into the Eatsmobile and headed off in search of pastures new. On the other side of Durham we discovered The Kicking Cuddy just off the main road through Coxhoe.

The Eatsmobile has passed this way many times and externally this little pub has undergone something of a revamp recently.

We made our way inside and remembering the old adage "Once bitten twice shy" my first questions were: "Are you still serving Sunday Lunch? What's on offer?" And "Have you sold out?"

The response was: "Yes - Till 5pm, beef, pork, chicken and lamb and no, we have everything left." My kind of pub. After polishing off a pint of Stella at the disappointing Duke of Wellington I decided to go for a soft drink but Mrs E had another large white wine.

I opted for chicken while She Who Must Be Fed went for pork. And when our meals arrived we were very pleasantly surprised.

My chicken breast had been cut up into strips, cooked with a slight glaze on top and served on a bed of potato and swede mash.

The dish came with a huge Yorkshire pudding, well-cooked roasties and hidden among the gravy were some fantastic roasted parsnips.

On a side dish came extra vegetables in the form of carrots, broccoli and mushy peas.

The only peas which come with a Sunday Scran should be fresh garden peas, the mushy variety should be left for fish and chips. Mrs E's food was just the same and she assures me her pork was very tender and a joy to eat.

We both decided to go for a dessert. I went for the apple and rhubarb crumble smothered in custard while Mrs E chose lemon meringue.

Both were fine desserts and I actually couldn't finish mine off.

Finding the Kicking Cuddy couldn't be easier. Head along the A1M until you come to junction 61, take the B6291 Coxhoe turn-off and drive for about a mile. The pub is on your right.