A Good Meal and a Decent Pint
�The Vine Tree, Newton Bar
What you�re looking for when you go out for a meal at a pub is firstly that you want to get served reasonably promptly -�Sorry we can�t even take any food orders for half an hour�, �Sorry chef�s stopped taking any more orders because he�s busy� etc. Here�s a tip that I�m going to be following from now on. Don�t order your drinks until you know whether the food is on!
Third time lucky�welcoming smiles and the food�s on with good choice to suit all tastes and appetites.
It�s the Vine Tree at Newton Bar, just by the roundabout where the A61 and the A650 go their separate ways North of the city.
The building looks very traditional on the outside, having been built in 1841 on the site of an earlier inn. You would expect a rather dark interior but the recent re-furbishment has seen new cream walls and blonde or light oak finish for the woodwork. A surprise, but one you quickly take to, with contemporary pictures and living plants completing the fresh ambience. Although the bar permits smoking throughout, there was no smoking anywhere among those lunchtime drinkers and diners.
Our meals were brought to us before we were half-way down our beers. Mrs W had a turkey and cranberry baguette with salad and I opted for one of the roast choices, pork and apple with roast and boiled potatoes�skin on to keep all the flavour, There were three vegetables to accompany� I�ve always thought I didn�t like swede but to my wife�s amazement I made short work of those tender golden cubes. Both meals were really digestible, too, nothing that just lay there for three hours afterwards.
For a tenner or even less, two can enjoy a wide choice of mains or lighter bites. Whilst most of us enjoy our chips we are aware that when eating out frequently we do need to give our arteries a bit of a chance to survive. If you�ve been living on rabbit food all week, though you could treat yourself to a Full English Breakfast. We shall be going back for a stab at the gourmet sandwich range, around �4.50,available in four different styles of bread with a salad, though there are also basic sandwiches for under�2. There is also a separate pizza menu for around �3.50 apiece and filled baked potatoes at �4.50.
The Vine Tree has three handpumps and usually you will find John Smiths and a guest, although there is sometimes a choice of three beers. The guest on our visit was the 4.4% Worthington 1744 from Coors. Hope their American owners don�t find out that a plant they own in England is actually producing a beer with some flavours in it!
I asked landlord Dave Brown why it�s called the Vine Tree, and has been since at least 1883. He says he himself would dearly love to find out.
The Vine Tree 82, Leeds Road, Newton Bar, Wakefield, WF1 2Q, telephone 01924 372256
Food available Monday to Saturday 11.30 until 16.00 starting earlier and finishing later than most lunchtime sessions, also Sunday lunches 12.00 until 17.00.
RKW December 2004