Crowning glory
5:12pm Friday 19th August 2011 in Eating Out By Michelle Tompkins
Crowning glory
THERE are new people behind the bar at The Crown in Broad Hinton, and their enthusiasm for making a go of the place radiates from their pores.
Chef Oliver Moody and landlady Anna Brookman took over the running of the pub a matter of weeks ago, but already they have made quite an impact. Three different people recommended I go there for a visit - either the couple have an exceptional marketing team or their mates are great at spreading the word!
We’d never visited The Crown before but we were greeted like friends, Anna’s smile beaming across the bar at us, willing us to come on in. And in the couple of hours we were there, our drinks were refilled, our food preferences discussed and our well-being enquired after repeatedly – there was never any danger of us leaving dissatisfied.
Service aside, the breadth of the menu is an indication of Oliver and Anna’s effort to ingratiate themselves. There’s an a la carte version with half a dozen dishes per course, ideal for diners looking for something special. But if you’ve just popped in for a midweek supper, there’s also a ‘two courses for £11, three for £14’ menu to satisfy your needs. Should you simply be in need of a lunchtime bite, there are sandwiches and Ploughmans to fill a hole.
And if it’s Sunday lunch you want, their weekly carvery can cater for that too.
The menu is comprehensive and certainly accommodating – I defy anyone to say they can’t see anything they fancy – but how does that food actually taste?
My husband ordered from the a la carte menu, while I decided to try the ‘three courses for £14’ selection.
We started with a goose breast salad with beetroot dressing (£6) for him and breaded Somerset brie with gooseberry chutney for me. My brie parcel had burst open slightly and the melted cheese oozed appealingly onto the plate. It tasted as good as it looked – not at all greasy and complemented by the tangy chutney and a dressed side salad.
My husband’s starter came with five fine slices of cured goose breast and a good helping of deep purple beetroot. He had no complaints.
The mains took a while to come, but I always see that as a good sign, especially when accompanied by sizzling sounds from the kitchens.
Oliver and Anna proudly state on the menu that their meat comes from Berry and Son in Wroughton, while the cheeses are from Ceri’s Cheese in Brinkworth. They also plan to start an allotment, so that by the summer of 2012 many of their salads and vegetables will be homegrown. It’s clear they care about sustainability.
I’d toyed with ordering the sea bass with crushed potatoes and watercress sauce, but on Anna’s recommendation switched to the stuffed portabello mushroom – “It’s been an unexpected hit,” she told me.
It came packed with goat’s cheese, breadcrumbs and herbs and was very moreish. I would have preferred new potatoes or even a jacket potato alongside it, rather than chips, but that didn’t stop me eating the lot.
But the star hit was the rump of lamb that arrived across the table (£16). Pink as requested, it came with with dauphinoise potato, sautéed greens and redcurrant jus, and there was so much meat that my husband was forced to share. It was velvet soft and juicy and the redcurrants added a layer of sharpness. I’ll go for that next time.
I ordered a pudding, but only because I felt I needed to try all three courses – honestly. Eton Mess is a favourite of mine, and this one was full of chewy homemade meringue, if lacking a little in fruit.
By all accounts, the Crown was in dire need of a shake-up when Oliver and Anna took over. It looks as if they could be just the people to turn it around.
Certainly, they deserve 10/10 for effort.
- The £11/£14 menu is available from Tuesday to Saturday noon to 2pm, and Tuesday to Friday 6pm to 9pm
