For those living in Derbyshire and the Peak District, The Peacock at Rowsley needs little introduction. Arguably one of the county’s most prestigious places to dine, its appeal extends well beyond the food. There is the beautiful Grade II listed Jacobean manor house, its fascinating history and, since January 2025, an exciting new chapter under Longbow Venues.
We arrived on a glorious autumnal day, with the sun shining and the leaves only just beginning to turn. It felt like the perfect season to visit.
With 15 boutique hotel rooms, continued recognition in the Michelin Guide and three AA Rosettes, this remains a serious dining destination. Yet there is nothing stuffy about it. You could arrive after a countryside walk, sit at the bar with a local ale and a hearty soup, or settle in for a hearty dinner or a tasting menu. The breadth of choice is one of this particular venue’s greatest strengths.
We were warmly welcomed by Laura Ball, front-of-house operations, alongside Restuarant and Bar Manager Valantine Blain, and introduced to general manager Cat Koch. We also enjoyed a chat with head chef Simon Harrison, who has been leading the kitchen for almost a year.
What struck me immediately was Simon’s genuine enthusiasm for the place. Hospitality can be an incredibly demanding industry, but he spoke about having the flexibility and freedom to develop his ideas while feeling genuinely supported by his team. His own background in AA Rosette kitchens means he already understood the level expected at The Peacock, but there is a clear sense that he is enjoying the opportunity to develop it further.
Simon describes his approach simply as “classic flavours with a twist”, using modern techniques while retaining the familiarity and comfort that make a dish appealing. It is an approach that seems perfectly suited to The Peacock’s increasingly all-embracing identity, whether that means a tasting menu, a refined dining experience or a hearty bowl of soup for walkers arriving from the surrounding countryside.
That ethos extends to the produce. The Peacock works closely with local suppliers including Gingers Butchers and RG Morris, maintaining strong relationships with its producers.
Menus evolve with the seasons, and that commitment to freshness is quite literally on the doorstep. Wild garlic is picked from the bottom of the garden, while rosemary, thyme, fennel and tomatoes are grown just outside the kitchen window. Some of those herbs even find their way into the flavoured butters served with the opening bread – a lovely example of how the restaurant’s surroundings become part of the food.
There is certainly plenty more to tempt you, too, from the wild mushroom, Dovedale Blue cheese and spinach tagliatelle to the Peacock burger, made with prime beef, pulled barbecue brisket, smoked cheese, maple and tomato jam in a pretzel bun, Vegetarian and gluten-free diners are well catered for, while local beers and ales and an impressive dessert selection complete an appealingly all-embracing menu.
And perhaps that is what makes The Peacock at Rowsley particularly interesting in this new chapter. The heritage remains, the standards remain and the sense of occasion remains, but there is a new warmth and accessibility running through it. Simon Harrison’s kitchen is taking classic flavours, giving them a modern twist and, importantly, doing so without losing the sense of comfort that makes food memorable.
We began with bread and whipped flavoured butters. For me, bread is the handshake (or hug!) introduction to any meal. It is that first impression, and when a venue gets the bread right – fresh, warm and delicious – you know you are in safe hands. Here, it was quite an introduction.
Made with Thornbridge stout and black treacle, the loaf was warm, fluffy, and wonderfully rustic, with a satisfying snap as you broke through the crust and steam escaped. Proofed and baked fresh that day, it had a richness and earthiness beneath a light texture.
Both butters were creamy, and bursting with fresh herbs (from the garden!), adding another layer of flavour, while the freshness of the bread made it almost impossible not to keep going back for another piece. Simple though bread and butter may be, this made a very welcome first impression and, more importantly, left you excited for what was coming next.
The first starter was the smoked haddock fishcake with pickled fennel, watercress velouté and puffed capers. The breading was wonderfully light, giving way almost immediately to beautifully fresh, meaty and flaky smoked haddock. The pickled fennel brought earthiness and a gentle acidity, while the watercress velouté added a real cleanliness to the dish. The puffed capers provided little bursts of flavour and texture, creating a beautifully balanced starter.
Then came the oven-baked rosemary-studded Camembert with red onion marmalade and house bread. Camembert can quickly become stodgy as it cools, but serving it in a hot skillet meant that it remained gloriously gooey throughout. The rosemary added a delicate herbal note, while the sweet, slightly sharp red onion marmalade cut beautifully through the richness. Add fresh bread for dipping and you have a dish that is almost impossible to resist! I suspect I’ll be having dreams about that Camembert for some time.
For mains, I opted for the salt cod with tomato, chorizo and white bean cassoulet, charred tenderstem broccoli, which was beautifully presented and distinctly seasonal. The cod was fresh, silky, flaky and full of flavour, while the chorizo brought smokiness, warmth and just enough kick. The white beans added a wonderfully comforting texture, while sweet, fresh tomatoes brought brightness to the rich sauce, which complemented the fish magnificently. Again, another dish that was perfectly seasoned, with no salt and pepper pots required!
The charred tenderstem broccoli added an earthy freshness and was beautifully crisp, al dente without being tough. It was the kind of vegetable that still had a lovely bite to it, adding freshness and texture to what was otherwise a wonderfully comforting dish.
Then came the pan-fried pork chop with creamed potato, seasonal greens and honey and mustard sauce.
I have eaten a lot of pork over the years, and it has never been a meat that particularly excited me. This may well have changed that. The chop was plump and sumptuous and, for perhaps the first time in my life, I was able to cut through a piece of pork with nothing more than gentle sway of my fork. No knife, no table shaking, no wrestling match required. Just effortless tenderness – it truly was delicious.
The honey and mustard sauce brought light spice, sweetness, warmth and gentle sharpness, while the creamed potato was smooth, rich and comforting with pure reasurring potato flavour. For me, this was autumn on a plate.
Dessert began with a dark chocolate and banana ice cream sandwich with hazelnut and chocolate sorbet. Banana can be difficult to get right; done badly, it can have that synthetic taste that immediately takes you out of the dessert zone. Not here.
This tasted of real, ripe banana. The sandwich was soft and spongy, while the dark chocolate added warmth and depth without becoming overly rich. It was comforting, playful and beautifully balanced.
The blackberry bavarois with apple parfait, crumble and vanilla ice cream was perhaps the most evocative of the season. Cutting through the delicate bavarois released a burst of ripe, plump blackberry -sweet, juicy and carrying just enough acidity without becoming overly tart.
The vanilla ice cream was particularly memorable, sitting somewhere between ice cream and silky custard, while the apple parfait and oat crumble added warmth and texture. It was rustic, nostalgic and comforting, yet still refined.
By the time we were ready to make our moves, we were, to put it mildly, incredibly full. I was probably moving a little slower than everyone else after that delicious Camembert.
But hand on heart, The Peacock at Rowsley really is a special place. What makes this latest chapter particularly heartwarming, especially for someone who is passionate about championing everything that is great about Derbyshire, is the way the venue has been reimagined while retaining what makes it special. It has been given a new lease of life without losing its sense of place.
You feel genuinely like a guest here. You feel catered for. And, perhaps most importantly, you can see how proud the people who work here are – proud of what they are serving, proud of what they are producing, proud of the venue and proud of the team around them. That came through in every interaction.
So, in terms of places to dine, there is nothing to critique here in a negative sense. My advice is simple: go and experience it for yourself. I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
The building has stood here since the 1600s, and long may it continue to do so, as it really is one of the jewels in the county’s crown.
The Peacock at Rowsley, Bakewell Road, Rowsley, Derbyshire, DE4 2EB
T: 01629 733 518 e: enjoymore@thepeacockatrowsley.com
www.thepeacockatrowsley.com