The Sign of the Angel, Lacock

The eagle-eyed among you, may instantly be wondering why a blog that concerns itself with Cirencester and the Cotswolds, is writing about a pub in Lacock. It is a fair question. Lacock itself is located in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside and while it is not far from Cirencester, it is still a stretch to think of it as near the Cotswolds, even if everything is relative.

The answer is twofold, really: firstly it is such a nice place that we can’t help but feel compelled to tell you about it; and second, believe it or not, The Sign of the Angel in Lacock, markets itself as “located in the National Trust village of Lacock, on the edge of the Cotswolds and only a short distance from Bath.” For those two reasons, I ask you to go with me on this.

Sign Angel

This Easter weekend was not the friendliest, weatherwise, but there is something about the Brits that compels us to do something, come a bank holiday weekend. One of those days must be spent doing DIY/the garden/spring cleaning (delete as appropriate); there must be a big family meal; and there has to be an outing of some sort. This was our outing, and we could not have picked a worse day, but we were rewarded by our lunch destination.

To say we were all ready for food is a blithe understatement. I have no idea what it is about just sitting in a car that makes you ravenous but I can attest to the truth of this phenomenon. So it was, first with great interest, and then with great pleasure, that we read the menu. There are some menus, that when you read them, you just know (barring a major upset) are a sign of good things to come. I could have happily eaten everything on there. There is a set lunch menu from which you can choose your combination of courses, or there are some lighter lunch options.Between us we ordered a decent cross-section.

 

It was only once we’d ordered that we took stock of our 14th century surroundings. They were quite something, and it is easy to see why Lacock is a perennial film or TV location both inside and out. There were nooks, there were crannies, beams that bowed so low they were a hazard to anyone over 4 feet 6. The garden looked a picture, even in the rain, and must surely be quite something when the weather lets it. There are fireplaces  – thankfully complete with fires when we were there, doors that looked older than the last two centuries combined and a maze of different spaces, all with tables full of expectant or satisfied-looking diners.

Which brings us back to the food which, when it all came, had the air of a banquet and was entirely in keeping with the renaissance-era surroundings. The prawn cocktail salad (a main course portion) was served on a long, rectangular slate set into a wooden base that looked for all the world like a sled. In terms of visual impact, it could not be faulted, and tasted every bit as good. The prawns, grilled and juicy, were lavishly dressed in a mildly spicy cocktail sauce with sun blush tomatoes, olives, a griddled baby gem lettuce and some melba toast. My blade of beef was meltingly tender and surrendered to the merest hint of pressure from my fork. Coupled with a pea risotto some steamed celeriac  – refreshingly not mashed, for once – and a smoked garlic jus that might possibly be the most intensely savoury flavour I taste all year. I am quite easily given to food hyperbole, but even allowing for that these two dishes were sensational.

And it did not end there.  To continue on the sublime meat theme, one of our junior number had a minute steak with chips – a pub classic, but in this instance taken to the next level. The thin slices of steak were beautifully presented with some mushrooms and some chips. While the steak was proclaimed delicious, it was the chips that drew what can only be described as rave reviews. They were a similar success when accompanying the pork chop with black pudding, Chantenay carrots and a port wine sauce. I think we all cleared our plates quite quickly, but that one was hoovered up with relish. Thankfully, it being Good Friday, one of us had the grace to have fish – a beautiful filet of salmon, served on some pearl couscous flavoured with lemon, samphire, and a yoghurt dressing.

The portions were not small by any means, but they did leave room for dessert, for those of us still needing a little finishing off. From first seeing eyes on the menu – I did this before even entering, getting soaked all the while but not minding in the slightest – I had had my eye on the apricot cheesecake. However, the blood orange steamed pudding with a citrus caramel, rhubarb sorbet, and vanilla custard was also too good to resist. We decided to share. The apricot cheesecake was a deconstructed affair that looked stunning, with both the creamy, almost-salty mascarpone and the sweetly tangy apricot sorbet providing a vivid contrast against the matt black glaze of the serving plate. The scattered oat crumb brought the ensemble together, providing texture and substance. The pudding, altogether more subtle in appearance on its pristine white oblong plate, was no less of a picture. The pudding was soft and light, a perfect foil for the blood orange on top and the zing of the rhubarb sorbet and the velvety smooth custard. And then that citrus caramel – such a beautiful way to complete the palette of flavours.

Being with children, we worried slightly that the food might be too sophisticated for the younger ones but we needn’t have. All plates were emptied, and the faces of both young and older at the table told a story of happy, sated appetites. After such a feast a walk around the village would have been ideal, but the Good Friday weather had other ideas. As it was, what we did see of Lacock – which was not a lot – was done mainly through the rain-splattered car windows. This is a shame, but really we had no alternative – the weather and an injury to one of our party put paid to any sightseeing “on the edge of the Cotswolds”. We will go back though.

5 places for a Christmas day tipple

 

As the lights switch on in our beloved Cirencester and the festive spirit begins to fill the air, the anticipation of a few days to celebrate with friends and family building, we turn our thoughts to celebrations. We love the pre-Christmas parties, hunting for stocking fillers, planning menus and putting up the decorations around the house.

When it comes to the big day, as much as we like to get cosy and spend the day with the family, we always build in a little break, to pop out and toast Christmas with friends. It breaks the day and it gets us out of the house for some fresh air. After unwrapping the presents, breakfast and some food prep, we dress up in our festive gear and hit the road to a jolly country pub to meet friends for the customary Christmas day aperitif. Mine is usually a Bloody Mary with all the trimmings, Worcester sauce, celery salt, pepper, lemon, horseradish and a drop of sherry. Yes, you heard right – sherry: it may sound naff but it really lifts the whole thing, a proper pick-me-up!

When it comes to the choice of pub, it has to be a traditional Cotswold pub, cosy and friendly, with a big open fire and local community. We used to visit the Seven Tuns in Chedworth in its heyday, when it was the beating heart of the surrounding countryside. On Christmas day it would be brimming with the locals coming in for a tipple, sporting wellies, dogs and collecitvely, enough tweed to reupholster all the furniture in the place. Talk about festive, the friendly hubbub was the spirit of Christmas itself, and we’d sit around the crackling fire and listen to the chatter, stroke the dogs and delight in the beauty of the countryside from the windows set within the thick stone walls. Over the years we have tried a few other places, all – happily – equally charming and heart-warming in their way. This year we’ve yet to make up our mind, but we have a few strong candidates lined up, that we’d like to share with all our Cotswold readers. And if you’ve any recommendations, we’d just love to hear them! The current shortlist reads thus:

golden heart 1. The Golden Heart. A lovely, cosy, traditional – it dates back to the 16th Century, no less – pub that sits in a dip on the A419 between Cirencester and Birdlip, with a log fire and lots of personality. You can perch on a stool or sit at a table in one of the quaint nooks and crannies. Real ales and hearty pub food on offer too. And a-mazing banoffee pie. http://www.thegoldenheart.co.uk/

2. The Bathurst Arms, North Cerney. A chalky pink farmhouse that stands out as you drive along the old Cheltenham road, this delightful pub is set within beautiful countryside and by a gentle stream. Genteel and beautifully refurbished, it has lots of character and that almost essential open fire. It is always lively and jolly and the food is always very good. It has good WiFi too, which is useful for any teenagers that you may have reluctantly agreed to be dragged away from the television. http://www.bathurstarms.co.uk/contact.htm

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3. The New Inn at Coln St Aldwyns. We are big fans of this little jewel of a pub. It has atmosphere, great food, friendly service and it is set in the heart of a charming Cotswold village. And we know it is frequented by one of the best chefs up and down the country. Bob from Made by Bob. Need you say more?  http://www.thenewinncoln.co.uk/
4. The Inn at Fossebridge. Charm itself, this is an idyllic place, a cosy, warm place set within a gorgeous garden and by a stream – with dreamy walks accessible from the back. I’ll let you into a little secret. We call it ‘the Dibley pub’. If you are familiar with that awesome series, ‘The vicar of Dibley’, you’ll probably get the feeling of what we mean. It is your classic village pub, where people meet to chat and gossip – a million miles away from the frantic pace of life in the fast lane. Talk about therapeutic! http://www.thenewinncoln.co.uk/
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5. The Twelve Bells, Cirencester. We are, after all, Cirencestrians, so no list would be complete without a local. A historical pub right in the heart of Cirencester, with a tradition of serving real ales, the Twelve Bells is an unfussy, yet cosy, kind of pub with that has maintained an old-fashioned charm which is, where possible, what’s required on Christmas day. It is popular and friendly and it serves tasty pub food. http://www.twelvebellscirencester.com

The magnificent seven – for location

 

So you are not content with good food, quality coffee and luscious cakes. You want somewhere that will feed your eyes and soul too. Green pastures, shimmering water and verdant valleys dotted with cute stone cottages, plumes of blue smoke rising from their chimneys…Not a problem, in our picturesque region – all you need to do is know where to go – and we are glad to point you in the direction of a few beauty spots we treasure…

  1. The Crown at Frampton Mansell. A delightful traditional pub with excellent food and a lively atmosphere, perched on a beauty spot with remarkable views and a sunny terrace. True bucolic splendour.
  2. The Black Horse in Amberley. A pub full of character, just off the spectacular Minchinghampton common, set in the enchanting village of Amberley. the terraced garden has amazing views over the Stroud Valley. Well frequented by the local rural elite!
  3. The Upper Lock Cafe in Stroud. A charming, cosy hideaway cafe with personality, an organic vibe and a canal-side setting. Lovely cakes and healthy salads!
  4. The Campden Coffee Co in Chipping Campden. Set in lovely Chipping Campden, one of the jewels of the Cotswolds, Campden Coffee Co is light and bright – a lovely relaxed environment where you can relax over a decent coffee and some delicious cakes and snacks.
  5. The Bell at Sapperton. A refined pub and restaurant serving excellent food in a  charming village location with a delightful garden area. A top choice with the Cotswold elite!
  6. Gusto in Cheltenham. In fashionable Montpellier, the Italian inspired cafe serves tasty food in the leafy part of town, overlooking the park and next to some of the best boutiques for some choice shopping!
  7. The rooftop restaurant at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon. Fancy some refreshments before or after your Shakespeare fix in Stratford? The rooftop restaurant at the Royal Shakespeare Company affords great views over the river Avon and is perfect for your pre-theatre dining or indeed for a post-shopping treat! Elegant surroundings and food alike.

The Crown, Frampton Mansell

Picture-perfect pub and food.

The window of decent weather was merely a stroke of luck. We’d booked to have Sunday lunch at The Crown in Frampton Mansell back in March some time, so the sun that bathed the recently showered the May countryside in a fabulous apple-green glow could not have worked out better. The Crown is perched precipitously on the side of the Stroud Valley and no matter where your gaze happens to land, it will be a sight not easily forgotten.

The beer garden, in this case out the front, is one of these welcome sights, defined by low stone walls, manicured flower beds, and your classic beer garden table, each marked out with proud red sun umbrellas. And when filled with people enjoying a drink in the sun, convivial does not come close. The building itself is solid stone and has no trouble making you think that it will be around a lot longer than you will. It is in no way forbidding, though, and as you stoop through the front door – there is no other way if you are my height – the bar is right in front of you, so you can order a drink even before you have any notion of where you plan to sit.

We had booked, though, and we went on down to what is becoming our usual – if accidentally so – table. The specials menu had a couple of excellent sounding fish dishes and the sausage-and-mash of the day option. Let me repeat that: a sausage-and-mash of the day. It might just be me, but I happen to think that is little short of genius. Forget soup, let’s have more sausages of the day! The menus here at The Crown are very good indeed, subject tor regular and refreshing change, though never losing their pub menu feel. This is hugely to be admired: there is no attempt at restaurant finery, and the foreign influences are largely kept at arms length and only deployed when suitable accents are needed. This food is pub food and also – largely – British food.

Of all the mains we ordered, it was the sea bass that either gave us food envy or had a couple of us looking very satisfied with their choice. It was pan fried, with garlic prawns, served with white asparagus, and some beautifully roasted silverskin onions and potatoes. The fish was perfectly cooked – crispy skin with firm and juicy flesh, and what really stood out – in a good way – was that there was no sauce to mess with the flavours; a brave choice but fully and triumphantly justified. Sometimes, you just need to let your ingredients do the talking. The burger was all you’d want: juicy and fully stacked with cheese, bacon and a full complement of salad. The stuffed roast chicken breast was equally well executed – succulent and served with a tomato sauce rather than gravy – a fresh change.

Dessert is hard to resist, whether you are full or not. Part of the reason for this is that the menu sits on your table on a blackboard daring you not to order. I capitulated instantly. It has pub classics such as sticky toffee pudding, crumble – currently apple and blackcurrant, but I have had pear and raisin and apple and raspberry on previous visits – as well as knickerbocker glory and a lemon meringue pie. This latter dish was delicious and served with apricot sorbet and fresh apricots. While the fresh apricots were a trifle firm, the sorbet was an inspired accompaniment to the dish and I could happily have devoured a large bowlful and been very happy indeed. All dishes are served with cream, custard or ice cream. And not a brownie in sight; this is a dessert menu particularly after my own heart – can you tell?

There is very little not to love about The Crown. One might be tempted to call it a gastropub, but I’ll refrain, not just because it’s a term that personally I think should be outlawed, but because it makes it sound like the food is all it has to offer. This is a proper pub, used and loved by the locals, and by the not-so-locals, and all in a beautiful setting. For that alone The Crown deserves the praise and support it earns. The food is just a (huge) bonus.