A pub has gone viral for all the wrong reasons after adding a “disgusting” food item to its menu – which some have jokingly called the pinnacle of British cuisine.
The Dew Drop Inn in Ilkeston, Nottinghamshire, sparked outrage online after sharing an image of the giant beige sandwich, complete with a huge wad of cheddar cheese and three raw rings of onion stacked on top of each other. The user who posted the image shared a message alongside it, which read: “Lads, this is what you call a cheese & onion barm. No nonsense tackle”. But the post sparked a furious debate over the £3.50 cob, with many questioning whether the colourless dish was a culinary disgrace or an outright insult to the nation. Michelle Henderson, who runs the pub, was left shocked by the scandal, insisting her famous baps often sell out in their hundreds.
She told MailOnline: “It’s been a British tradition at the pub for years, started by a former landlord to sell no frills baps which go down well with a pint. They’re legendary and people come from all over to get one.
“We don’t skimp on the size! They’re good value, tasty and the size of a doorstep – some people eat them all and others don’t.” Michelle, who will be taking over as landlady this summer, added: “It’s crazy that our bread rolls have gone viral.”
Bemused social media users rushed to share their thoughts on the gigantic sandwich, with one saying: “My wife looked at that and said that she wouldn’t know whether to eat it or climb it…” Another added: “I see that the rumors about british cuisine are accurate.” One user simply said: “That looks repulsive.”
The giant cobs are made using a white bread roll spread with butter, and contain a large wedge of cheese and onion hoops. Michelle, who says she sometimes sells as many as 200 a day, added: “They are generously sized and the cheese and onion is the favourite followed by ham salad.”
Fellow bar manager Savannah Webb, 24, said: “We’re known far and wide for our baps. On a busy weekend they’re always gone.
“I think out pub was the first to to the cobs with such big chunks of cheese and slices of onion. They’re mad, we know! We could never take them off the menu, they’re so popular. The buzz on social media has been crazy.” Ms Webb said the Drew Drop Inn also offers classic pub snacks, from pork pies and scotch eggs to sausage rolls sourced from a local butcher.
Former landlord John Cooke, who lives nearby, said that while he was running the pub from 2007 to 2011, it was named ‘Pub of the Year’ several times.
He said: “We made the pub such a success and it’s all down to the staff, the punters, the beer and of course the cobs. It’s still as popular today and is always busy.
“A former landlord had started the cobs and the tradition has continued and all these years later they’ve become a hit on the internet!”
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