FOOD REVIEW | You can’t help growing your appetite at the Potting Shed

To dispel a myth, it’s actually a very promising sign in the world of a food critic when they struggle to pick a starter from such a varied menu.

That happened to my dining partner and myself after we sat down at the eclectically fantastic Potting Shed Restaurant and Firepit Sports Bar on Lord Street recently.

But before that, the important matter of what to have following a month of Dry January! Of course to a gin lover like myself it had to be a delightful rhubarb gin while my partner opted for a cobweb clearing Negroni.

There’s no shortage of thirst quenching delights to pick from. Perhaps a Raspberry Collins is on the cards for our mains…

Onto food and after toying with a whole host of deliciously sounding starters, we opted for the Shed Sharing Platter, swapping out the Jalapeno poppers for the calamari – an easy change the wonderfully friendly staff were more than happy to accommodate.

Staff were incredibly friendly and attentive as they brought out drinks and latterly our platter of mini delicacies. Who knew asparagus in batter would be such a fascinating taste experience?

Everything was perfectly cooked, with the calamari being the stand out taster.

Soon we were onto our mains and fresh from the amazing wood fired pizza oven arrived my Americans thin crust pizza with added picante pepper pearls, which my dining partner chose to go for a halloumi kebab, a portion nearly as large as the quaint and cute floral booth we found ourselves in!

Although almost stuffed from our sharing starter, we ‘bravely’ soldiered through our tasty mains, with the quality of home cooked, fresh pizza quite evident in my delightful main.

My partner managed to clear their plate of their halloumi kebab, making me somewhat jealous I hadn’t opted for that main as well, such was its delightful presentation and even better taste.

I troubled our exceptionally friendly waitress to make her speciality cocktail for me – an Old Fashioned as it turned out – and ordered a desert to share. Of course it had to be the Chocoholic Four Layer Chocolate cake – a journey of sweetness which finished the evening perfectly.

If only they had an entire floor dedicated to post meal fun and games beating your dining partner at pool, shuffleboard and more…oh wait, they do!

The Potting Shed, Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1PU