Matt Moore finds he has a taste for a pun…
Hot off the press… it’d be a great way to start this review, but instead I’m just namechecking one of the many burgers available at Northampton’s latest gourmet burger restaurant. Others include the Editors Pick, and the Fake News burger; other options like salads are available. The Press is located where the Bantam Cock was on Wellingborough Road, this family owned restaurant seeks to shake off the previous place’s bad reputation, and from my experience it could well do so.
Right off the bat, you can tell how new this restaurant is from how few people are actually dining there. In the hour that my partner and I spent there, there was only one other table, of a party of three, and they finished up in about the first ten minutes. The only other people to come in were a drunk gang of students, who quickly decided the place was too upmarket for them, and promptly left. And it is hard to dispute this, the place certainly looks classy, if a little incomplete. I overheard the waitress telling someone from the party of three where the toilets were, as they currently didn’t have a toilet sign, and although there are plenty of decorations around, it did feel a little barren.
The menu, however, is anything but barren. The burgers are the main draw, and it is hard not to smile when reading this part of the menu, as you can see how much fun the writers had as they play off the name of The Press to the fullest. Every single burger is named after something to do with journalism, sadly however, this does not extend to the drinks menu or other parts of the menu like the salads or pasta. But, seeing as how difficult it is to make such a pun, it can be forgiven.
Service was quick, we were greeted, seated, had drinks, and food ordered all while the party of three were still there. My partner went for the Page 3 Dirty Burger, which consists of beef patty, pulled pork, bacon, onion ring, double melted cheese, lettuce and BBQ sauce. He said that the cheese was a bit thick, and that the pulled pork slightly watery, but that it was overall a good meal, especially for the £9.95 price.
Meanwhile, in a futile attempt to remain healthy in the build-up to the festive season, I ordered the £8.95 chicken, bacon and avocado salad, sans avocado. It came with chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions and honey mustard dressing, and was a salad worth £8.95. There was nothing particularly special about it, but it would be hard to find fault with it as well.
At the moment it is just the pastas and salads that are vegetarian and vegan friendly, but according to the website, a new menu is launching soon which will accommodate them.
Overall, my experience at The Press was a pleasant one, and I’d certainly go again, I might even be a bit adventurous and try out a Paparazzi burger. The restaurant itself feels like a new publication that has just launched: it is still trying to find its feet, but there is a lot of potential for something great.
