Out & About April 2017

Top left, slate of scallops, cod branade kedgeree breadrumbed balls, coronation dressing, raisins and mango puree top right, celeriac and truffle veloute, above roast sharing board, right crunchy topped winter fruits crumble, below, prune and Armagnac and Tonka bean ice cream

Nemesis chocolate ice cream was the richest of all the dishes we had and utterly gorgeous. The orange and passionfruit tart with just a brushing of chocolate on the pastry base broke open and took us to somewhere in the sun and the prune and Armagnac and the Tonka bean ice creams were deep with flavour. The Newbury is an ambitious pub. Pete and Darren have some great ideas. At the time of writing, many evenings are themed – so Tuesday is grazing night, a kind of fine dining experience, Wednesday is pie night, Friday is fish night and steak is on Thursdays. Whatever night you go, the kitchen and pass are open to view, there’s a cocktail bar upstairs and, for summer and warmer days, a roof terrace with removeable roof and sides and an outdoor pizza oven. Private parties are welcome and Darren had just completed a 133-head vegan banquet the night before for a vegan birthday girl, without turning a hair. That’s just how they do things at The Newbury – nothing fazes them as they turn out some of the best food around.

for owner Pete who has brought a lot of artwork from his home to the walls of The Newbury, plus there are local artists’ works that show the races at Newbury – and on the mantelpiece in the bar area two stunning horse-head metal sculptures. The rest of the pub has unique touches and it’s worth having a walk round and a nosey in the nooks and crannies. Meanwhile, the desserts kept up the standard. So as not to disappoint readers (well that’s our excuse) we were allowed a board with a few to try. And get this – my stodge-hating dining companion wolfed down a very light, yet rich at the same time, sticky toffee pudding. As sous chef Mo Farhan explained, they hit on the formula when one day they didn’t have enough dates so used half dates/half prunes. It’s often how great dishes are born. There was also a fabulously crunchy- topped crumble of winter fruits and apple, a mix that was sweet with a hint of sourness. The Nemesis chocolate cake with

The Newbury, 37 Bartholomew St, Newbury, RG14 5HB, 01635 49000, www.thenewburypub.co.uk As the pub thinned out – it had been full with 80 covers when we arrived – we retired to a comfy leather sofa to order dessert and espresso martinis. The pub really is a home-from-home Our starters were a slate of scallops, cod brandade kedgeree breadcrumbed balls, coronation dressing, raisins and mango purée, £12.50. The scallops were beautifully cooked and the cod balls packed a strong hit of cod and curry. The celeriac and truffle veloute, £8.50, was light and creamy, flecked with pea shoots and other greenery with little black truffled slivers – the star in the centre was a large hen’s egg encased in crunchy breadcrumbs, which leaked a golden yolk into the veloute when cut into. We could have chosen a charcuterie sharing board at £14.95, a breast of pigeon with blackberry and parsnip purée and hazelnut brittle at £9.50 or a ham hock ballotine with piccalilli and olive oil at £7.50 and a good few more. We had a lovely Gris Blanc Rosé from Gerard Bertrand at £26.50 but there’s also an amazing South African chenin blanc at £19 a bottle or a Bishops Leap sauvignon on the extensive wine list.

Pictures: Dijana Capan

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