Sunday 29 January 2012

The Duke of Cumberland Arms: Pub of the Year 2012 with more gongs to follow

Lovebird 1 emerges from one of the quaintest pubs in the land
Ms P and I have been running hither and thither of late: new jobs, weddings, christenings, extended trips from London to Australia to Singapore to Miami and back again. The months have flown by.

We've returned, ready to enjoy the wonder of London and the cosiness of the deep midwinter. What better welcome back to the UK, than a day trip to the countryside coupled with a lunch at an ancient pub awarded countless gongs, followed by an extended walk through the forest.

The Duke of Cumberland Arms, has sat looking out at the Leith Hills, in the tiny hamlet of Henley (near Fernhrust, outside Haslemere, 45 minutes from London) since the 15th century and combines the best of modern British food with a cosy interior of roaring fires, flagstone floors, thick walls and local ales. After our journey, I understand why it was awarded the Good Food Guide Pub of the Year 2012 and the Seafood Pub of the Year 2011.

The Dukes extensive gardens: great spots for alfresco dining. We will be back in the Spring
The best outdoor smoking room in Britain
The daytime menu is less extensive, but just as hearty as what is on offer at night with the added benefit of filled baguettes for those less peckish. Ms P and I were joined by The Lovebirds: Lovebird 1 being a London lass and Lovebird 2 being a local. We were more than happy with our shared starters of the silkiest smoked goose with truffled celeriac and rocket (£7.95) as well as the most fantastically fresh and tasty half dozen oysters with red wine and shallot vinaigrette (£10.50). Both were generous servings that were woofed down with gusto, with the only caveat being that the celeriac lacked flavour and didn't give off any hints of truffle.
The goosey goodness of smoked goose with celeriac 
Wonderfully fresh oysters
Whilst the main menu was heavily slanted towards seafood (think pea, prawn and crayfish risotto  (£16.95) or pan-seared scallop salad with crispy bacon and Parmesan (£18.50)), we opted for the meaty goodness on offer. My slow-braised ox cheek with horseradish mash, buttered kale and red wine jus (£16.95) had an amazing depth of flavour and the horseradish mash was a pleasant surprise. A fantastic stick-to-your-ribs winter dish. Ms P and Lovebird 1 opted for the Sussex rabbit ragu with chestnuts and  handmade pappardelle (£15.95). Whilst the pappardelle was perfectly executed, the ragu was overly sweet (presumably from the pairing with the chestnuts) and didn't hit the spot. However, Lovebird 2's wonderfully meaty hunter pie with cheddar mash topping and vegetables (£14.95) came up trumps.
The Hunter Pie that hit the spot
The pappardelle with rabbit and chestnut ragu
The meaty goodness of the slow-braised ox cheek
The best of British cheeses
The Duke proved to be an absolute winner when it came to puddings (and all were very reasonably priced at £6.95). Ahh the joy of fantastic puddings by a fire, in a wee country pub. Ms P was adamant that her fire roasted pineapple soaked in rum with coconut ice cream was one of the best puddings she had ever eaten. Lovebird 1's chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream was an absolute winner. It was the battle of the spoons as I tried to muscle-in on the chocolaty goodness. Lovebird 2 was monosyllabic for some time when presented with his great slab of sticky toffee pudding: the rich caramelly goodness had got the better of his tongue. My cheeseboard (£8.25) offering an array of the best British cheeses and was a huge hit (after the battle of the spoons I was more than willing to share).
Love at first sight for Ms P: roasted pineapple pudding soaked in rum with coconut ice cream
The sticky toffee pudding that stopped a grown man in his tracks
This chocolate fondant almost led to fisticuffs: it was Lovebird 1's and it should have been all mine
With the afternoon light not yet fading, we journeyed just up the road for a brisk walk through the surrounding forest and returned for drinks around the warmth of the open fire in The Duke's outdoor smoking room. What could be better than an ale in front of an open fire in the nicest outdoor smoking room in the land.

The Duke fulfilled all of our rural pub wants and desires: it was less than a hour from London but in a hamlet that time seemed to have forgotten (ask a local about mobile reception or internet access), it offered great food at reasonable prices with friendly attentive service  and a fantastically comfortable historic setting.

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The Duke of Cumberland Arms
Henley
near Midhurst
West Sussex GU27 3HQ
T:     +44(0)1428652289
W:     http://www.dukeofcumberland.com/index.html

Duke of Cumberland Arms on Urbanspoon