The Hardwick Inn is a centuries-old country pub, which can be found just outside the sprawling Hardwick Park estate. This is home to Hardwick Hall – an Elizabethan country house that was built in the 1500s and remains a popular tourist attraction.
The Derbyshire Times was invited to visit and learn more about the history of the pub and an upcoming major milestone – and these photos show what you can expect from the Hardwick Inn.
5. Reducing food miles
Stuart said: “Our food miles are as low as they can get. All of our game comes from the game estate just up the road in Scarcliffe. We try to keep everything as seasonal and as local as possible.” Photo: Brian Eyre
6. Popular pies
Stuart said: “Over the years, we’ve been really well-known for our pies. Back in the days when the Hardwick Inn was just a drinking pub, they started serving steak and kidney pies, and the rest is history. We’ve gone from one of the family members making pies for the locals, and now we’ve got sixteen chefs and a bit of a behemoth of a business really.” Photo: Brian Eyre
7. Support from locals and tourists
Stuart said: “We’ve got a 50/50 balance. In the summer, with our massive beer gardens and our locality to the National Trust estate, we cater for the tourists. But then we have such a loyal clientele as well - we’ve got people that dine with us four or five times a week. It’s really reassuring that even as locals who live nearby, these people are coming to enjoy their favourites multiple times a week.” Photo: Brian Eyre
8. Familiar faces
Stuart said: “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel or do anything different to most places. We don’t have a revolving door of people - our head chef has worked for us for 25 years and our general manager has been here for 30 years. My wife and I are in our 40s now, but we’ve been around the business forever. When you walk through the door, there’s always a familiar face behind the bar - that’s one of the nice things about a pub when you turn up and see the same people.” Photo: Brian Eyre