Nottinghamshire is blessed with an abundance of village pubs but it's not just the pints being pulled that make them worth a visit. Many of the country inns are smashing it when it comes to exceptionally good food.
The Kitchen at the Cross Keys in Epperstone, a quintessential country pub, is one of them. And to prove it, it has made it into the finals of the Great British Pub Awards in the best pub food category. The accolades attracted a record number of entries for 2022, which have been whittled down to the very best the nation has to offer.
We decided to try it for ourselves and as soon as we pull into the car park there's something instantly appealing - and it's not just the sizeable beer garden. The parking area is flanked by rows of apple trees with an abundance of fruit - I hope the apples are used by the chefs - but there's more. One noisy cockerel and his two handsome companions welcome us with a loud cock-a-doodle-doo.
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As we go through the side door near the kitchen I spot a small discreet Buckingham Palace street sign. If you're wondering about the connection, the Cross Keys' head chef Des Sweeney once worked as a chef for the Queen. During his illustrious 30-year career he has also worked at the House of Lords and on the QE2 as well as the two Michelin-starred restaurant at the Capital Hotel in London.
We ladies who lunch are greeted and seated in the restaurant area, an attractive design with Farrow & Ball’s Heritage Blue on the walls and brown tartan upholstery on the dining chairs. The look is homely country chic, but it's more contemporary than twee.
The Cross Keys doesn't serve standard pub grub, the usual lasagne, burger, fish and chips and so on. You will find something different here with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal food. To say it's not a fish restaurant, it has an admirable choice of fish - mackerel, hake, Cornish sardines, Torbay sole and dressed Cromer crab are on the menu.
Diners can choose from an à carte menu or a set menu offering two courses for £18. My eye instantly catches a divine-sounding summer Pimm's trifle. Would it be weird to skip the starter and main and just have dessert?
Neither of us are wanting a big lunch so we opt to share a starter. Never be afraid to ask. It arrives as pretty as a picture. Pan-fried pigeon breast topped with crispy pancetta graces a bed of green leaves, garnished with tomatoes, red onion and pomegranate.
The meat, partially pink, is tender and mildly gamey. I've had it before with blackberries but this has a more summery vibe thanks to big plump raspberries and a raspberry dressing. I'm glad we're sharing because it's not a small portion.
I long to be sipping a refreshing rose alongside it but with a 45-minute drive and an afternoon's work ahead of me, I need a clear head. I envy the locals though... they can get a lift home at night in the pub's very own taxi, a bright blue taxi London cab. What a great idea.
While waiting for mains, I chat to another diner who tells me how 30 years ago, she turned up at the pub on a horse and had a sherry and a bag of crisps. Horse riders are still welcomed today and can leave their four-legged friends in a dedicated pony park.
Before long there's a flurry of activity at our table as the mains arrive. Slow-roasted pork belly is one of those hit and miss dishes - at the last restaurant I had it, the crackling was so hard I couldn't get my knife through it and I didn't want to make a scene by stabbing it in case it flew across the next table. Another time it hadn't been cooked long enough so an unappetising thick layer of fat remained.
It's a gamble ordering it but this time I won the jackpot. The juicy meat and properly rendered fat earn it ten out of ten but the crowning glory is the crispy golden cracking, with a distinct crunch but not so hard it will break your tooth. A slab of black pudding and a sea of sage and onion sauce it makes a tasty trio. It comes with a serving of apple sauce, hopefully made from the fruit outside.
Accompanied by new potatoes and a dish of carrots, leeks, cabbage and baby sweetcorn, let's just say I won't be raiding the biscuit tin later. My earthy coloured plateful contrasts sharply with the vibrant colours of the confit duck leg and orange salad, with watermelon and a sweet chilli dressing order by my daughter. It's such a good-sized portion that she ends taking the remains home with her.
We're served by the general manager, a lively lady called Sarah, who couldn't be more obliging and told us how happy she was to be working after the "horrible L (lockdown) word". She offers more of the sage and onion gravy which I gladly accept.
Despite not having room for dessert, we'd had a lunch fit for a queen, and friendly service too. I'd go so far as to say the average punter is made to feel like royalty - obviously not with bows, curtsies and being addressed as Ma'am but by hospitality at its best.
The meal
Starter: Pan fried pigeon breast £6.95
Mains: Crispy confit duck leg and orange salad £14.25 and slow-roasted pork belly £13.95
The winners of the Great British Pub Awards will be announced in a ceremony on October 4. Other Notts contenders are:
Best Country/Rural Pub
Ye Olde Bridge Inn, Oxton
Best Pub for Families
Ye Olde Bridge Inn, Oxton
The Railway, Lowdham
Community Hero
Dog & Parrot, Eastwood
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