The Steading is a very pretty little place in the foothills of the Pentlands, just near Hillend ski centre. For reasons of fitness acquisition ahead of my 100km walk in May, I had occasion to call in just before midday on Sunday. Sadly, this meant that I couldn’t indulge in a light ale to calm my nerves, following an unexpected run-in with some Highland coos, as licensing laws prohibit the sale of booze before 12.30pm on a Sunday, apparently.
A Hairy Coo on the Pentlands!
This was no great impediment, though, as I was mainly after a restorative bowl of soup. Their soup of the day was green pea, so I ordered a bowl of that from the bar, and returned to my seat in the wood-laden bar area.
As I allowed the bubbles of the sparkly water that I’d ordered as a thirst quencher to invigorate my tastebuds, the soup promptly arrived.
Interior
I find making soup with green split peas to be a little tricky. They’re packed with flavour, but it’s all too easy to end up with a soup that has quite a grainy mouthfeel. Hula expertly negotiated this challenge with their version of this dish, which I sampled a few months ago, but the folks at the Steadings didn’t cope quite so well. The soup had good flavour, but it wasn’t a winner in terms of texture.
Green Pea Soup
It did warm me up very nicely and, as I say, it was certainly rich in savoury flavour, so I’d say it was good, but not great.
Overall, The Steading is very nicely placed and served my needs quite well. Across the road, there’s a stable of horses that were making actual horsey noises (whinneys and neighs, no less), so I imagine that MJ will be keen to pay it a visit when we get our training walks up and running, in the next couple of weeks.
Scores
Blythe scores The Steading
3/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
2/5 for service
3/5 for setting
Giving an overall 11/20
Today’s Lunch Quester was: Blythe
I ate: green pea soup
I drank: sparkly water
I wore: a look of considerable relief at having completed my escape from a herd of hairy coos
Total bill: £5.20
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You never mentioned the ponies and their noises. I’d have been there sooner!
This will no doubt be a stopping off point after a training walk on the Pentlands, so you’ll get to bask in pony glory, soon enough