Authentic cuisine in tasteful setting

UP a long and winding road north of East Markham lies a converted barn with a difference.

The newly-opened Pheasantry Brewery boasts a stylish restaurant in keeping with its authentic and traditional beginnings. The history of the land is central to its theme and decor.

It embraces an era gone by entwined with self sufficiency, home-grown vegetables, organic ingredients and farm yards to keep the livestock.

All in all, the secluded setting set a mile back from the A57, is like running up the garden path to Grandma’s house.

The welcome you receive is just as warm. Stepping in to their modern take on a golden age, the natural aromas from the kitchen wafted their way through the wooden doors and into the dining room, making me look for a menu instantly.

What I found was a combination of traditional meals brought into the 21st Century.

With the breakfast and brunch menu served until 11.30am, there’s always the option of catching an early lunch that is bound to stave off hunger until the end of the working day. But if a light bite is all you’re looking for then look no further, with a healthy range of baguettes from roast beetroot and goats cheese with basil pesto to grilled steak with fried onions, rocket and horseradish, and salads, you could argue there is something for everyone.

But if, like me, you can’t say no to a hearty meal, no matter what time of the day, there’s a range of servings to appease your appetite. Beer battered haddock and chips, homemade steak and pheasantry ale pie and portobello mushroom and spinach risotto to name a few.

With grilled ribeye steak (medium/rare) on the menu there was no contest. Served alongside home cut chips, grilled tomatoes and watercress (£10.95) with peppercorn sauce (+£1.50), it was a recipe for success.

Brought to my table in next to no time at all, the meal came on a thick wooden serving platter for just the right touch.

My only beef with this would be when the peppercorn sauce started to edge its way towards the perimeter, closer and closer to my lap. If I didn’t have an army of chunky chips at my disposal to create an emergency dam I may well have needed to change my trousers.

But sensible pouring averted any potential disaster.

The steak was cooked to perfection, the chips delightfully crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle and the tomatoes were firm but juicy. Overall, it was first class food produced locally on a farm with a rich agricultural history, showing the simple things in life are often overlooked.

There are no frills and (fortunately) no spills in this time-honoured restaurant served to contemporary standards.

Oh, and if you fancy a cheeky pint then there’s a micro brewery in the hallway.

Star rating HHHHH

By Matt Brooks

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