It’s a tough job – but someone has to do it. The editors of the Good Pub Guide are constantly hunting for Britain’s best pubs (aren’t we all?), so every one featured must have exceptional food, drink and atmosphere.
When the 2009 edition landed on our desks last week, we immediately flicked to see who’d made it from the great East Midlands: most intriguingly, the Caunton Beck, Notts. Intriguing because this unassuming gastro-pub (part of a small group with the Wig & Mitre in Lincoln and Bottle & Glass in Harby, Notts) is renowned both locally and nationally for its food but flies under the radar when it comes to PR and all that malarkey.
Caunton is a small village near Newark. It’s not far from the A1 – so guidebook-reading foodies from across the country head here for the a la carte menu (which changes every few months) that’s served from noon every day.
The restaurant certainly looks impressive as you arrive. There’s an affluent feel to the place (and it’s not just the flash motors in the car-park). The building is actually relatively new – reconstructed using original timbers on the site of the former Hole Arms in 1997.
We resisted pre-meal pints (Batemans Valiant, Marstons Pedigree and Tom Woods Farmers Blonde are on draft) and were led straight into the less-populated restaurant area. The décor here felt a bit tired – the country-kitchen combination of rag-finished yellowish walls, wooden benches with pink cushions and a hotch-potch of pictures (what were those military coats- of-arms all about?) could use a revamp. Nevertheless, the subdued lighting and open fire creates a relaxing ambiance. It’s almost too relaxing – with few punters on a Tuesday night and no background music, the atmosphere was morgue-like.
Of course, the menu is the star attraction and it sparkles with possibilities: from starters of confit of belly pork with a parsnip and mustard seed puree (£6.95) and carpaccio of beef with pickled celeriac (£7.95) to mains of British beef and Irish stout pie (£12.50) and seared salmon fillet with shredded crispy beetroot (£13.50). Actually, there must have been a good catch of salmon recently as it seemed to dominate the menu.
The specials board is an important part of the offering here, too. It contained almost as many options as the menu itself – so we spent ages flip-flopping between the two.
A nice gourmet touch on the menu is the sommelier-style matching of the food with specific wines. So I happily accompanied my haddock and leek soufflé starter (£7.50) with their recommendation – an oaky 2007 Chilean Chardonnay Biplano (a pricey £5.55 for a 175ml glass), while my friend chose Pinot Grigio (better value at £3.75) with her Thai fish cakes.
Both opening dishes were superb. The smoked haddock chunks and fresh leek were baked within a creamily, fluffy soufflé to create a fulfilling dish of real class. Meanwhile, my friend’s two fish cakes were light and crispy with flakes of salmon subtly infused with Thai spices and enlivened by sweet chilli and ginger jelly.
For our mains, I opted for the specials board and the chicken breast and risotto (£12.50) while my friend stuck to the main menu and the vegetarian tartlet (£12.50). Both main courses were greened up with some fresh veg.
My dish differed considerably from the red wine risotto promised – it arrived with pancetta within the grainy risotto (good job I liked pancetta then). However, the additional meat made this already salty dish rather rich. The chicken was expertly cooked but the overall savouriness was almost overwhelming – especially with a melted Colston Bassett stilton topping.
Blue cheese (a Blue vinny) was also making a tasty impact on my friend’s tart – the large portion of tomato and thyme tart also included a sprinkling of rocket leaves. Again, it was delicious – but rather heavy on the flavours.
Finally, we only had ourselves to blame for ending this indulgent meal with a shared duo of decadent desserts. There were lots of other interesting options including a few we didn’t even understand – candied orange and rosemary cassonades (£4.95) or baked damson and sloe gin posset (£4.95) anyone? – so we played it straight with the walnut chocolate brownie (£4.95) and a chocolate torte (£4.95). Alongside an espresso (£2.25) and a liqueur coffee with brandy (£5.50), we compared notes on our chocolate puds – the generous slice of bitter dark chocolate torte just about stole the show, especially with an orange marmalade topping giving it a tangy edge. Meanwhile, we doubted whether the brownie really needed some maple syrup. Too much is never enough for this kitchen, it seems.
Caunton Beck is one of those slightly smug country retreats that knows its cooking is a cut-above – and those countless guidebook recommendations prove it. Occasionally, though, it seems too showy – for instance, the wine list cover advertises Krug for £24.95 a glass (£139.50 a bottle).
The Good Pub Guide also waxes lyrical about the ‘warmly welcoming service at this lovely inn’. But we found the atmosphere rather chilly at times. Our waitress even seemed slightly annoyed when we requested a corner table (set for four) – despite the virtually deserted dining room.
This is certainly one of our region’s finest gastro-pubs. But our eternal quest to find the perfect boozer (thankfully) continues… David Sandhu
The Caunton Beck, Caunton, Newark. Tel: 01636 636 793. Open for food daily 11.45am-10pm.