Stew & Oyster, The Calls Landing - better quality stews in the ready meal aisle

We visited the Calls Landing restaurant but the company now has five other sites across Yorkshire, including locations in Otley and Boston Spa.

Inside we were met with exposed brick, chic interiors and warmly lit lighting but the main attraction was the bar which colourfully showcased a wide range of beers.

It was relatively quiet for a weekend, but my partner reliably informs me that the place is usually packed with people popping for an after-work drink.

We grabbed ourselves a table tucked away in a corner and greedily started looking at the menu.

What’s the menu like?

As you'd expect, the menu focuses around oysters and stews.

There are two choices of oyster - a 'naked' oyster served on ice with lemon, tabsco and shallot vinegar or a Glenfiddich oyster topped with a 12-year-aged whisky.

Prices start from £2.50 to £14.60 for a half dozen.

There is also a light bites and platters section for those feeling less hungry or who fancy a cheese board to share.

As I mentioned, we were really craving some hearty English grub so we focused on the stews.

There was a great range of stews to choose from and lots of different flavours from around the world. It was almost too hard to choose!

Fortunately - or unfortunately - for us, the decision was made much simpler for us when we went up to order.

There was no beef and Theakston old peculiar stew left, no sausage and mash left and they had also ran out of lamb.

It was 3pm when we ordered. Food is served until 8pm on Sundays.

Now onto the food

After going through the menu, it transpired that we could order the chicken stews.

I opted for a chicken and dumpling stew - braised chicken thighs, plump dumplings and mushrooms in a rich gravy finished with cream and thyme - and my partner opted for chicken and mushroom stew.

It arrived and I was disappointed to see four pieces of chicken slopped alongside some vegetables and dubious looking dumplings.

Honestly, it looked like a ready meal - albeit one served in a lovely table set.

Unfortunately, it also tasted like a ready meal and not one from one of the finest ranges.

It wasn't a bad meal, but it was distinctly average. There was very little chicken, the 'plump' dumplings were stodgy and tasteless and the gravy was insipid.

Tellingly, it was also lukewarm and even cold in some patches. It had clearly been reheated.

My partner had a similar experience, describing his dish as 'bland, not terrible but nothing remarkable.'

Alongside the stews we ordered glazed chantenay carrots and buttery mashed potato for an extra £4 in total.

One bite of the overboiled, limp carrots and I knew that they had never seen a pinch of salt and pepper in their life - let alone a 'glaze.'

The 'buttery' mash was slopped into the bowl without any effort to disguise that it was not freshly made - you could still see the shape of the container.

Now, I'm lazy and much more familiar with the M&S prepared food section than I am with my potato masher but this wasn't even the standard of microwave mash.

It was dry, lumpy and genuinely unpleasant to eat. Which is something I never thought I would say about a potato.

The whole meal was tasteless and disappointing.

Room for dessert?

For something described as a 'hearty main' when paired with 'delicious sides' there was definitely room for desert after my stew.

To choose from was a sliced apple and date sponge, a jam roly-poly, a chocolate orange cake and a vanilla baked cheesecake to choose from. All were reasonably priced at £4.50.

However, despite liking the sound of the deserts, after the experience of the main course I didn't trust that they would be any good.

Not wanting to risk disappointment yet again, we opted for the safe choice of picking up a box of mint Magnums on the way home instead.

And the drinks?

I opted for a Nowt Bah't Hops from Leeds based Kirkstall Brewery for £3.80.

This is the house pale ale for The Stew and Oyster group and it was perfectly pleasant - though I probably wouldn't opt for it again.

My partner was over the moon to discover that they serve Hamburg's Fritz cola range and opted for the Fritz Orangeade at £2.90

Sugary, sweet and refreshing - the drink went down a treat.

How much was the bill? Was it value for money?

The bill came to £25.50 for two stews, two sides and two drinks.

Normally I would say that that is excellent value for money but given the quality of the food I would not recommend it at all.

The food was tasteless, lukewarm and not fresh.

The venue is cool and there is a great drink selection but if you're after a hearty, comforting thick stew for half the price, may I direct you to the nearest Tesco.

Factfile:

Address: 36-38 The Calls, Leeds LS2 7EW

Telephone: 0113 242 5299

Website: www.stewandoyster.com

Scores

Food 2/10

Value 5/10

Atmosphere 7/10

Service 7/10