NESTLED at the centre of a village in the hills outside Newton Abbot, the Union Inn appears exactly the place for pub grub a pint of ale.
Based in Denbury, the pub has that charm of every pub settled in bucolic beauty.
However, not all is what it seems. With the sub-title of 'eating and drinking house' (on its menu), the overseers of the inn seem determined to head in a different direction.
Under the guidance of new general manager Ben Waring, the Union Inn has firmly set its sights replica hublot watches on higher gastronomic appeal.
On top of the basic Sunday Lunch menu is a daily 'gastronomics' menu featuring everything from basic bar food to 'Hors D'Oeuvres' and Catch of the Day choices.
Entering into the lounge bar, the surroundings are immediately welcoming, with tiled floors, log fires and pine tables. There are plenty of drink choices, including locally-brewed ale 'Denbury Dreamer'. The Union Inn has received a CAMRA recommendation for its beers.
Walk through to the reception/dining room and the atmosphere changes almost completely. The decor is modern and minimalist, with long-backed leather chairs, dark wood furniture and silver cutlery.
Only the exposed beams provide reassurance that we were still in the same Sixteenth-century establishment.
The disco ball in the centre of the room hints at the other uses for the this room, but on a Sunday lunchtime, the extra table space was much appreciated.
After settling ourselves at a table crowded with glasses and cutlery, we opted for the Sunday Lunch menu.
On the evidence of the menu, the restaurant excelled. All food was locally sourced, and organic where possible, including Roast Sirloin of Dartmoor Beef (Pounds 9) with Yorkshire pudding, caramelised onions and roasting juices plus a dish of veg.
lingerie wholesale Even more impressive to read was a dish which oriented in the village itself, the Denbury Lamb (Pounds 9). This also came with the veg, plus rosemary and garlic clouts.
Other choices included Roasted Saddle of Venison and Fillet of Salmon, both at the same price. Opting for the beef and the lamb, we sipped our drinks and waited. And waited.
After 45 minutes, we had finished our drinks and started to wonder about when our meals would arrive. Two main courses were brought out for another table, only for the hard-worked waitresses to find that the diners had given up and left.
Our meals followed soon after, and tasting them thankfully made our wait worthwhile. The beef was cooked perfectly, so it was tender and juicy, in generous proportions. The Yorkshire pudding was warm without being hot, and the juices tangy and rich.
The lamb was similarly well cooked, enticingly presented and plentiful. We noted that there was no mint sauce provided -- a standard accompaniment for many diners -- and asked if any was available.
The waitress smilingly informed us that mint sauce was not available. I found later that this was a deliberate ploy, as the chefs consider the dish not to require mint sauce. Similarly, salt and pepper do not appear on the table, and will only be brought out if requested.
links of london charms These certainly seem like grand aspirations for a country pub, and may irk some customers.
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