It was fantastic to be invited by Ashley and Sukie to try their food at The Brewery Inn. Since taking over in October, they've worked hard to strike that perfect balance between traditional pub atmosphere and elevated dining, with Ashley working alongside his trusted chef Ben in the kitchen.
I started with the salt and chilli calamari - one of my favourite foods, and I often order it when I see it on a menu. This was a great start with a generous portion, and what really made it special was the combination of crispy onions, spring onions and chilli adding both flavour and texture to the dish. I also managed to persuade my girlfriend Scarlett to order the baked camembert so I could have some too! Topped with honey truffle and served with bread and what I'm pretty sure was cranberry chutney, it hit the spot - especially since I hadn't had camembert over Christmas. The sweetness of the honey, subtle truffle notes, and that lovely sweet chutney worked perfectly together.
For the main course, I did something unusual for me - I went for the sirloin steak (I'm normally a fish man). And wow, was I glad I did! This was the first time I'd ever been served a steak pre-sliced and ready to eat, which was a revelation. Usually, I find cutting up a steak myself can be a bit arduous, but this presentation felt confident - showing off the perfect cooking with a lovely sear on the outside and amazing rare steak in the middle. Every bite was fantastic. The warm salad of mushrooms, tomatoes and onions that came with it was spot-on - three ingredients that really shine when cooked properly. The chips were perfect too - crispy outside, soft inside - and we got some "cosh slaw", their interesting twist on coleslaw with raisins and a lemony flavour. I alternated between dipping my chips in this and the peppercorn sauce that came with the steak. Scarlett went for gammon, egg and chips which looked absolutely delicious (and she confirmed it was), featuring perfectly cooked gammon, two spot-on runny eggs, and thick flavourful peas. I was once again struck by the generosity of the portions, which could also be seen in everyone else’s mains being brought out!
Dessert was a shared experience of their Baileys and vanilla panna cotta. As a panna cotta novice, I was won over by the promise of white chocolate mousse, brownie pieces, and fudge rather than the usual fruit accompaniments. The dessert delivered on all fronts, with the panna cotta achieving that coveted perfect wobble and the accompaniments creating a harmonious blend of flavours and textures.
The service really added to the experience, with the bartender making us feel welcome and having good conversations between courses about the pub's history (he was very complimentary about their new website I'd made them!). Overall, it was a great meal and a pleasure to finally try Ashley's food after hearing so many good things. We'll definitely be back.
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