December is just around the corner and that means it’s ok to start thinking about Christmas, right? I’ve already put up my Christmas tree and festive foods have already made their way into my shopping basket. I go through the Christmas menu at The Hive in this post. The Hive is based inside Stretford Hall and they are serving up Christmas meals from the 3rd December!
They are open for collection (15% off the menu price!) and delivery is available on the Shocal app and Just Eats.
I’ve been sent a sample of their food to review below!
Christmas Menus
As well as their regular menu, in the run-up to Christmas, The Hive have a Christmas takeaway menu. There is also a separate eat-in menu for the actual Christmas Day costing £65 per adult which requires a deposit. This will require pre-booking in advance. Dishes can be made halal on request if booked in advance!
In this post, I will be reviewing their vegetarian menu. This is £17.95 for two people!
Starter / small plates
Christmas at The Hive starts with 3 starters, which can also be found on their regular menu, under small plates. They are priced individually, but you can also order three small plates for £11.95 or five for £14.95.
From left to right:
- Tomato arancini, truffle, goats cheese and tomato sauce (£4.95)
- Pea fritters served with mint and pine nut pesto, vegetarian parmesan (£4.50)
- Mushroom bhaji’s served with pickled onions and mango chutney (£4.50)
All three were really nice. Everything held its shape well and only started to collapse when dipped into their respective sauces. It’s a hard decision to choose a favourite between these three, but I think it might be the arancini for me!
Main course
Left: Nut roast. Right: Hispi cabbage
The nut roast comes as an option on their Christmas Day menu, to be served with potato fondant and braised red cabbage. It can also be found as part of their regular Sunday roast offering too, with roasted vegetables! I found the nut roast pleasant to eat without being too dry. The cabbage was nice and I enjoyed roasted veg, although I would have liked my vegetables roasted a tad longer.
The Hispi cabbage can be found on their premium menu and it is easily my favourite item sent to me. Served with lovage, hazelnut stuffing and onion textures, there’s just a lot going on. The cabbage melts in your mouth, the stuffing and onion add crunch and there’s sweetness coming through the sauce. It’s just a good dish.
Dessert
Dessert was the chocolate and orange mousse served with a praline and orange gel. The mousse can be found on both the standard and premium Christmas menus, making a nice alternative to the standard Christmas pudding. This was an indulgent dessert which I found just a bit too sweet for my liking, but I’m aware that I like things less rich compared to many. The praline was excellent and indeed, added a welcome textural contrast to this dessert. In fact, I could have eaten more of the praline (I’m a sucker for nuts in desserts).
Comments
Overall, I really like the food from The Hive. It felt like I was dining out, when in fact I was eating in. Additionally, the options are good for many dietary requirements, which is always great to see. Give Christmas at The Hive a go!
Information
The Hive are open for collection (15% off the menu price!) and delivery is available on the Shocal app and Just Eats.
Website: https://thehivestretford.co.uk/
Address: Unit 124, 125 Chester Rd, Stretford Mall, Stretford, Manchester M32 9BH
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