Trend Watch: Stew - causing a stir

With the increasing trend towards affordable cuts of meat and slow cooking, it was perhaps inevitable that stews would come back into fashion.

And now, with winter around the corner and the demand for comfort food at its highest, their popularity is set to soar.

One operator knew it was onto a good thing with the humble stew, and has even built an entire concept around it.

Leeds-based Stew & Oyster specialises in, you guessed it, stews and oysters. The company has operated two sites in the city since 2012, and is planning to open a third sometime in the near future.

All of its stews are made by meat sourced from Sykes House Farm, in nearby Wetherby. While the dishes change regularly, a set number of favourites are kept on the menu all-year round.

Beef and ale, for example, is tender beef cooked in Ilkley Black ale with rosemary, thyme and garlic. Also included is bacon, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and red wine onions.

Another favourite is pork and cheddar meatballs with sage and wholegrain mustard – cooked in tomato and basil sauce with mixed beans, courgettes and red onions. All meat-based stews are £6.50.

There are also vegetarian options, such as the ‘Sunday lunch’, which comprises traditional vegetables, cauliflower and broccoli in a vegetable gravy served with two large homemade Yorkshire puddings. Vegetable stews are available for £5.50.

Every stew is served with a wedge of artisan bread from Bongate Bakery in Otley.

Stew nights​

While a dedicated stew menu might not work for most pubs – for many, stew-themed evenings could.

The Museum Inn, in Farnham, Dorset, for example, hosts a ‘clue and a stew’ pub quiz on the last Thursday of every month. To enjoy the homemade stew and enter the quiz, customers pay just £8.

The Stanford Arms, in Lowestoft, Suffolk, is offering ‘Saturday stews’ throughout the autumn and winter months. On each occasion, the pub is focusing on a different stew from around the world. Customers can expect the likes of Hungarian goulash, coq au vin, sausage hotpot, stroganoff, carbonnade, beef in stout, Norwegian meatballs, cassoulet, chicken chowder, beef bourguignonne and lapskaus. All stews are £6.

Meanwhile, the Mariners, in Rock, Cornwall – jointly run by Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw and Sharp’s Brewery – hosted a ‘stew and pint night’ in November. Prices for the stews were set at £10.50, or £13.50 with a pint.

Seasonal menus​

For some pubs, simply including a stew on seasonal menus can work just as well.

AA Rosette pub the Guy Fawkes Inn, in York, North Yorkshire, currently has a roast Belly pork with apple and chorizo stew, and fondant potato, on its autumn menu for £11.95.

Similarly, the Victoria Inn, in Salcombe, Devon, has a chicken, chorizo and mixed bean stew available for £13.