Out & About January 2017

Crowning glory

The Crown Inn at Upton is full of superb surprises says Hilary Scott

I am a self-declared Bloody Mary expert. I took the mission on many years ago (you’re welcome) and can’t tell you the effort I have put in to rate the drink across the world. Airports are a spe- ciality, it’s become a pre-flight and layover habit and they are normally bland; in the US, they’re usually too fishy and strong for me as they often use clam juice: meanwhile

dining areas and the conservatory where the light floods in, it’s a place you could while away many an hour. The bar menu is classic fare but with the Crown twist – pork belly with mustard, a smokey BLT, fish and chips, sausage and mash to name a few. We sampled the pork belly and

The trout was vivid pink and soft, the mousse a smooth and unctuous quenelle and the two little towers of salad spicy with the capers and soft potato. Nestled between were the perfectly cooked eggs and ever-so-crunchy trout skin the size of, well, crisps. It was fresh, zingy and delicious.

The crispy- coated and loaded crab

cake topped by a thick egg yolk was packed full

discovered the twist –

thick and crunchy- topped

of fish and sat in a top-notch bisque with a slick of almost silver aioli and it was all seen through a harlequin fried potato garnish. It was rich and showcased the crab. For mains, we went for venison and sea bream. Now suet puddings can be thick and spongy but this venison suet pudding served with the smoothest potato puree, sprouts and stuffed cabbage was soaked in an amazing gravy and crunchy on the outside, the result of steaming then ladling with gravy and roasting in the oven. The venison inside was buttery yet spicy and tender, the little stuffed cabbage ball revealing a spicy sausagemeat stuffing. Meanwhile two fillets of sea bream – the portions at The Crown are generous – sat in

melting belly cubes served with charred lemon, a hearty mustard

Harry’s Bar in Venice is pretty good. But I never thought that one of the best I have ever tasted would be in a pretty country pub in the Hampshire countryside. Laced with chunky grated horseradish, with just the right amount of spiciness, celery and lime, The Crown Inn at Upton deserves a Bloody prize. Actually, the minute you walk into this beautiful inn you kind of guess everything is going to be good. The newly refurbished pub under chef Lewis Spreadbury and general manager Amanda J’Bair, a duo who used to run The Bunk Inn, is tasteful yet reflects the farming community and stunning countryside it sits in. From the cosy fireside space to the cool grey

Pork belly with mustard

mayo and smoked salt. It was superb, and even my dining companion who normally eschews animal fat raced me to the wooden board to finish it off, scrabbling to pick up the last cube. To the rest of the food – I usually hate when reviews walk you through the meal in order, but sometimes, like a good tale that builds to a climax, you need to do it so potential customers get an idea of the beautifully balanced and clever menu. So, starters were the smoked trout with a trout mousse, caper and potato salad, quails’ eggs and crispy skin, and a dish of crab cake with a crab bisque and squid ink aioli.

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