We headed to the original Potting Shed “planted in the pretty market town of Bingley” for a cracking night with good grub and a couple of drinks before hooking up with friends for a post Covid re-union nightcap.
It’s been a few years now since we were last in here and I have to say the vibe has changed a bit and for the better. The web will tell you that this is the perfect place to be fed and watered and it really was. As the night was a bit on the chilly side we stayed in the main bar/restaurant, but the Potting Shed concept provides garden space with your very own, well, potting shed where you are waited on and can have your own private little gathering with friends and family. The frontage is on the Main Street and the rear garden looks to the River Aire.
We were greeted and seated in the restaurant and within minutes we had gin and tonics while we perused the food offering. There is an extensive gin menu as you expect these days and you can get a “Gin Tree” which provides four drinks for £25.95. Good value me thinks. With a cocktail list, alcohol free list, shot list, wine list, fizz list, draught beer and cider list, we had all bases covered. Lots of lists, however, they’re straight forward and it’s easy to home in on your favourite tipple.
The menu too is easy viewing. Small plates, wood fired pizza, sharers, burgers, Shed Kebabs, Shed Recommends (read pub grub standards) and wraps and sandwiches. There are salads, sides and puds too. Graham and I both agreed that the place had a “New York City” craft beer sort of vibe going on and the menu is very Tex-Mex in nature. We opted for Sticky Chicken Bites with hot sauce which were non-fussy and full of flavour and a wood fired Classic Garlic Flatbread. A perfect start.
For mains I went for the Pulled Pork Burger. I love both and so to get a burger with Monterey Jack and a lovely dollop of tasty pulled pork was a real treat. Graham went for rump steak which came perfectly cooked and flavourful. We both opted for fat fries, what in the US would be termed “steak fries”. They were terrific. We washed everything down with a glass of red each; Malbec for me and Cabernet Sauvignon for hubby. Both were reasonably priced and didn’t disappoint. The same must be said of the food. We were well fed and the price point is reasonable.
It was heart-warming to see the place busy with families, after work colleagues and friends gathering on a Friday night. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and just when we said the only thing missing to give it that real New York state feel was a live singer in the corner – a young, singer guitarist walked across the bar and took to the mic. We think this is a real opportunity to be developed further. The corner was a bit dark and the sound could do with some re-balancing but Graham and I were automatically transported to a long ago visit to Lake Placid in upstate New York where there’s live music in one bar or other every night of the week and the entertainer draws you in, includes you in the set and the bar tender ensures your glass is always full.
The service was swift, friendly, efficient and we will most definitely make it a regular Friday night spot. With a re-fit planned for May (don’t know why, we loved it just as it is) we will make a point of visiting the garden and occupying our very own Potting Shed! Yep, very nicely fed and watered.
Deana and Graham Morgan
