THE FOOD CRITIC
The Lancashire Magazine Eats Out...
The Cross Guns Inn, Egerton, Bolton by Richard Sagar
T
he thriving village of Egerton is the home of my hostelry of choice this month – the newly renovated and exceptionally tasteful Cross Guns Inn. The attractive stone and hard wood exterior of this 1700s building nestle the Inn into its local environment as it provides an aesthetic pleasure to its patrons and all driving through the village alike. With the refurbishment of the Cross Guns Inn now complete, Egerton, the initial birthplace of Bolton Wanderers FC, now finds itself the birthplace of one of the most stylish and exciting restaurants, bars and cocktail lounges in the North West.
As we entered the premises, the quality of the refurbishments was immediately evident – an exceptionally well stocked bar immediately greets patrons, along with a cheery hello from owner Jon, who kindly took the time to show my dining partner and me around the premises. The décor is completely ‘on point’, and whilst 172
meandering through the establishment, I found areas perfect for anything from Friday afternoon pints in the outdoor bar and covered gardens, to stylish formal celebrations in the private dining area upstairs, and everything in between. Upstairs, we happened upon a charming team of staff, who happily welcomed us into the cocktail lounge - where we decided it would be rude not to spend the first part of our evening. And what a cocktail lounge it is. A classy, stylish area that wouldn’t look out of place in the most affluent areas of the city centre; the cocktail list more than matched the sophisticated environment. With anything from a Twisted Bellini to a Ciao Malfy Spritz, the printed menu has something for everybody – and the skilful staff are happy to use their knowledge of mixology to create your personal favourites too. We went for a French 75 (Monkey 47, Lemon, Sugar and Tattinger Champagne) which proved a perfect aperitif, along with a traditional Sex
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
Meet The Food Critic... Barrister-turned-food-writer Richard Sagar takes us through some of the finest culinary venues our historic county and surrounding areas have to offer. Keep an eye out for Richard’s reviews in our editions as he quite literally eats his way through the North West!
The Cross Guns Inn 354 Blackburn Road, Egerton, Bolton, BL7 9TR N 01204 291204 thecrossguns.co.uk
www.lancmag.com
