Rating: **** Russell Roberts enjoys a locally sourced steak in a proper pub offering fine food.

On a cold winter’s night when the weather is horrible and you feel like you will be blown over as soon as you leave the house you can’t be blamed for wanting to stay in.

But I was glad myself and fiancee Alison were slightly more adventurous and decided to brave the elements to go to the New Inn at Baschurch.

As soon as we walked through the door it was warm and cosy with the typical pub scene of a few locals enjoying a quiet pint in the bar area.

We had previously contacted the New Inn, so luckily had a table reserved and we dined in the comfortable but refreshingly modern restaurant area with a number of attractive rustic features.

It was a Saturday evening and the restaurant was busy which is a good sign for any customer. As we pondered over the menu and starter board brought to us by a friendly waitress, we admired the contemporary coastal scene pictures and the exposed timber ceiling beams that gives the whole place a sense of character.

We had been saving ourselves all day for our meal so we just had to go the whole way and have all three courses.

For starters I opted for soup of the day with homemade bread, tonight it was root vegetables. It was a lovely, thick and creamy soup and exquisitely presented with shavings of carrot on top. The bread was fresh and tasty with a selection of both white and wholemeal.

Alison was also very happy with her starter choice of smoked mackerel and salmon mousse with orange and red vein sorrel. The food itself was very ripe with flavour and she said it was nice to have the orange to cut through the flavour of the fish mousse.

Not long after finishing the starter our main was served. I was impressed with the speed of service as it was a busy night in the restaurant and I know that sometimes speed can come at the expense of great tasting food, but not in this case.

Inside The New Inn, Baschurch

For the main course Alison decided to stick to the seafood theme as fish has got to be in her top 10 favourite foods and she chose the fillet of salmon with tarragon croquettes, spinach and hollandaise sauce.

The salmon was tender on the knife and tasted fresh and with the spinach and the sauce, it was a delicious combination. The tarragon croquettes, although possibly looking a little out of place on such a plate of food, tasted delicious and it was nice to try something different with salmon rather than just the usual vegetables that are traditionally served up.

I decided to go for the hearty option of sirloin steak, locally sourced from nearby Moor Farm in Baschurch, with skinny chips, pepper sauce and roasted vegetables. The steak was cooked to perfection, was succulent and full of flavour. The chips were uniquely presented in a small metal basket, which I thought was a nice touch.

The vegetables were again very well cooked and plentiful with more than enough to share.

As with all meals where you reach the stage of fullness you can barely manage anymore but that dreadful question that you can’t resist just has to be asked: “Would you like to see the desert menu?” The answer was always going to be yes please.

The choice then had us stumped, they all sounded delicious but I was looking for something just small to finish the meal off and my only criticism I would have is that I would have liked a larger selection as a simple ice cream or sorbet was nowhere to be seen.

But as everything on offer sounded so good I decided on the tangerine and ginger sponge with orange and cardamon syrup and clotted cream ice cream.

Though far from a small or healthy end to the meal it was a delicious choice. The sponge was hot and moist like it was freshly prepared and had a powerful gingery kick, eased with the ice cream. I was very satisfied and couldn’t help but polish off the lot.

Not to be outdone Alison chose a favourite of hers – vanilla crème brulee with mint shortbread. She said it was delicious and ticked all the boxes.

ADDRESS
The New Inn, 7 Church Road, Baschurch SY4 2EF
Tel: 01939 260335
Website: www.thenewinnbaschurch.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE
STARTERS
Oven dried tomato & basil pesto risotto balls with Brock Hall farm goats cheese puree. £6.25; Seared scallops & slow roasted belly pork with cauliflower & cumin emulsion. £7.95

MAIN COURSES
Rump of lamb with mini shepherds pie, rosemary fondant & mint sauce. £16.50; Free range chicken breast with brie, smoked bacon & braised leeks. £12.95; Slow roast tomato & basil pesto risotto, with Parmesan & Baby leaf salad. £9.50

DESSERTS
Caramelised lemon tart with basil chantilly & candied orange. £5.50; Dark chocolate & chestnut brownie with pistachio ice cream & fudge sauce. £5.95

ATMOSPHERE
Relaxed and comfortable

SERVICE
Friendly and efficient

DISABLED FACILITIES
Disabled toilets and wide door to the front of the venue, providing easy access