Frame Breakers on the High Street in Ruddington is a right proper pub serving up in their own words ‘Great Beer and Good Food’. It is part of the Nottingham Brewery Family,  the same group that have the Ned Ludd in the City Centre.

The last time I came into this pub it was called the Bricklayers Arms, the name change apparently links it to the Ned Ludd  named after the Luddite leader and the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington which is just a few hundred yard away on Church Street.

I often drive past the pub on my way out to Gotham via Clifton, it is one of the busier junctions in Ruddington, and each time while sitting in the traffic I looked over at the pub and the people sitting out back in the beer garden and felt both  thirsty and hungry.

This week I persuaded a couple of mates from work to join me for a pub lunch, basically a ruse so that I could try the place out.

Before we came I had been looking online at the menu and I had pretty much already made my lunch selection. I had been really keen to try the “Drunken Grilled Cheese Sandwich” – ‘American style grilled cheese and beer-caramelised onion sandwich’ as I really love a proper US grilled cheese, it is one of the things I really miss from the States.

That had been the plan anyway, but that wasn’t what happened!

When we walked in I hadn’t even thought that there would be a ‘Today’s special menu’ that would turn my earlier thoughts and choices upside down

Todays Specials

But there was and it captured my attention in an instant, held it, grasped it a little bit more, and won my heart with the words;

“Beef and Chorizo Burger topped with cheese and chilli mayo, served in a Brioche bun with baby gem lettuce and tomato with a scoop of chips”.

Lots of my favourite food friends in a bun, what could be better?

Oh yes, the value at just £6.50!

I was pretty tempted to try the “Rio inspired Brazilian Sausage” that was ‘served simply with drunken onions and a chilli mayo dip’ as that really sounded good!

But you know what? that was never going to happen once you told me that there is a homemade beef and chorizo burger to be eaten!

 Beef and Chorizo Burger with a ‘scoop of chips’

The Burger arrived in one of those red plastic trays just like you get in the classic American Diner. My first thoughts or salivations were all about that molten cheese oozing out of the bun and dripping down the side of the burger.

I really do not know how I was able to control myself long enough to take a photo. It was looking rustic and it was looking just as promised ‘home made’, it was looking like a winner!

Alongside the burger was that ‘scoop’ of chips, mentioned oh so casually on the specials poster.

I was only expecting some sort of  basic chip garnish, so I was delighted when it turned out to be a big freshly cooked mound of delightful potato bites.

They were really well cooked, freshly cut, nicely thick, crisp casing and fluffy potato filling, almost perfection.

But what about the burger that you were drooling all over a moment ago?

Beef and Chorizo Burger 

The Beef and Chorizo Burger was really quite delicious, it is the sort of burger that you just cannot stop eating. It was a good job that it was not twice the size because trust me I would be stuffing it into my mouth all day long .

The burger patty was quite the star, crumbly beef with chunky pieces of sweet and spicy chorizo sausage are blended together in an almost perfect ratio, perfect for me anyway. The beef was moist and really well seasoned, it was the perfect compliment to the chorizo by balancing out the sweet spice. Honestly each bite was a delight.

The whole burger sandwich was really well constructed, they have the layer of crunchy lettuce on the base on the bun to stop all the juice escaping into the bread, now it might sound a bit daft to mention, but it is attention to detail like this that can make or break a burger, as it helps to stop a soggy bottom layer which all too often is the reason so many pub burgers fall apart in your hands.

The top and bottom bun had a layer of really quite awesome chilli mayo spread upon them. It was a kind of spicy thousand island dressing with more heat, more tang, and more creaminess.

The cheese on the top was just about perfect too, it was a mature cheddar (I think) and it gave that tanginess and sweetness that you really needed to cut through the spice from the mayo, the sweet chorizo, and those lovely meat juices, that dribbled out of the burger bun with each bite.

Did I like it? Hell yes! I have used all my favourite burger words 🙂

What else have they got?

The Nottingham Pie

The Nottingham Pie sounded pretty interesting “Homemade beef brisket served upside down in a filo pastry case topped with mashed potato, crumbled Stilton cheese and crispy bacon bits, plus a healthy portion of minted peas”

I was intrigued!

Fortunately one of my companions, Antony, ordered it and really enjoyed it, so much so that I took advantage and asked him for a quote (luckily it was a bit longer than “It was really nice”)

“The Pie was a lovely homemade mash sprinkled with bacon bits and stilton cheese on top of tender (fall apart) brisket encased in filo pastry. Came with tasty gravy and minted mushy peas. A bargain and a wonderful combination of ingredients”

I have to say that it did look darn good on his plate, the open pie was quite unusual looking but I could see that it was packed with potato, brisket and chunks of stilton cheese.

When it arrived those fresh green mushy peas topped with a drizzle of thick mint sauce looked so vibrant against the white tin plate.

I could smell that lovely aroma of peas and mint drifting across the table, it was a good job that my burger arrived moments later!

Note to self: Come back and try the pie

Inside the pub

The Frame Breakers is a really great pub, I really like what they have done with the place, it is very relaxed inside, bright and airy.

The staff were really friendly and the locals were pretty chatty too it all felt very welcoming

There was some really great food on offer as well (which I may already have mentioned) and I understand that they source a lot of the produce locally with the meat coming from the local butcher.

Beer wise they had all the Nottingham Brewery classics and a few guests as well, they post any events on their social media such as last week when they posted that “Its International IPA day today so come and celebrate with our fantastic range of IPA’s and EPA’s.”

I am pretty sure that we will be back for another visit

This place has ‘Friday Lunchtime Spot’ written all over it!

Next time Maybe I will eat that Grilled Cheese Sandwich? or maybe I am secretly hoping that they still have that Beef and Chorizo Burger on the Menu!

House Specials Menu

Ooh I just remembered that they have a ‘Breaker Burger’ on the menu – 2 burgers with cheese and chilli, yum maybe that has to be added to the list too!

The Frame Breakers pub is located on the High Street in Ruddington at the cross roads with Kirk Lane and Church Street. NG11 6DT

They do have a  car park and there is also a good bus, the NCT 10, that runs from the City you can catch if you have no designated driver and fancy a good session on those Nottingham Brewery ales

Check them out too on their Facebook page and also on their Twitter Feed