The traditional, transformed. Ewerby’s Finch Hatton Arms has recently enjoyed a revamp, with a new team in the kitchen and at front of house, new décor, and — this month — fresh menus that are designed to capitalise on the best that Lincolnshire has to offer.

It’s an energetic transformation that is attributable to John Hilton, the venue’s new executive chef and a dedicated beyond his years 22 year old for whom the phrase ‘fresh blood’ was practically invented.

“I was approached by the pub’s owner, John Priestley, earlier in 2010.” Says John Hilton. “I’d worked for him before and had great respect for him. I had planned to travel but this was an opportunity that was too good to miss.”

John readily acknowledges that few 22 year old chefs are fortunate enough to have their own venue which, for intents and purposes, is what the young chef has had since the venue reopened on 1st July 2010.

Having been closed for three months prior to its relaunch, great effort was made to transform what was a somewhat tired venue. The venue was stripped, redecorated and deep cleaned before a new kitchen was installed, the dining room was given a revamp and a new fleet of crockery and cutlery was used to present a brand new à la carte menu for Lincolnshire's diners.

This month, additional menus will be unveiled providing Early Bird dining and a Ladies’ Lunch menu to increase the venue’s flexibility even further. Already the 110 capacity restaurant features two dining rooms, spacious bar and a full house on Saturday nights, but the new menus are designed to allow customers to experience the restaurant throughout the week too.

“We’ve been really pleased with the response so far.” Says John. “But we’ve been lucky as well, having so many great customers, particularly in the village, who all want to see us succeed. The locals are fantastic, and we’re keen to make sure the venue becomes a place they can enjoy visiting.”

First impressions of the venue are favourable, following a relaunch, with the building — constructed in Ancaster stone in the late 1800s and featuring mullion windows and leaded windows — originally designed to serve as the Haverholme estate’s hunting lodge.

A pub since the 1940s, the relaunch has yielded an interior revamp designed to make the most of the building’s low ceilings and beams. This underwrites the Finch Hatton Arms’s underlying vocation as a friendly local venue with adjacent restaurant offering quality pub dining in Lincolnshire, and restaurant food which is neither fussy nor expensive.

It’s a cosy, warm and intimate environment that, despite neat grounds and terrace, more suits autumn and winter dining with real fires, real ale and traditional farming ephemera on the walls.

This autumn, John’s new à la carte menu includes eight starters and main courses each, and eight home made desserts. To accompany, 18 bins of wine comprising six reds and whites as well as rosé and champagnes allow patrons to while away cool weathers and increasingly dull nights with a reasonably priced drop.

Menus change every six weeks or so to allow for the implementation of seasonal ingredients, and at the time of our visit, a Chicken Liver Parfait with Red Onion Marmalade, Pan Seared Scallops with Carrot & Ginger Purée and Oak Smoked Scottish Salmon with Toasted Granary Bread all feature as starters, alongside a traditional Soup of the Day option.

Continuing the hearty and traditional approach to pub dining in Lincolnshire, both fillet and rib steaks are available alongside Award Winning Lincolnshire Bangers and Mash, Beef, Ale & Chantany Carrot Pie, Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Leek Mash and Lamb Shank with Dauphinoise Potatoes. Side orders include buttered vegetables, hand-cut chips, Dauphinoise potatoes and mixed leaf salad.

Desserts, all home made, naturally, are equally traditional, with Sticky Ginger Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Clotted Cream, Bread and Butter Pudding and Crème Brulée, with a Lincolnshire cheese board option too.

The new menus are based on a traditional table d’hôte dining style and feature cut-down, less labour intensive versions of the restaurant’s à la carte dishes. These will be offered as Early Bird specials with concessionary of prices from £11.75 and £15.75 for two and three courses respectively, and as Ladies Who Lunch specials on selected dates throughout the month.

In addition to the main menus, the Finch Hatton also provides a five special dishes including, on our visit, Breast of Gressingham Duck with Bramley Apple & Cider Compote, and Roasted Fillet of Beef with Chorizo and Red Onion Mash.

Undoubtedly, the venue’s refurbishment has been more than merely skin deep. New menus, a new executive chef and a renewed determination on the part of John and his team to create a traditional, friendly venue have all breathed new life into a previously tired venue.

“We’ve had some great feedback really.” says John. “Already we have had plenty of interest and bookings are healthy in the week as well as at the weekend. We’re hoping more people get to know us in the months ahead, and we’re looking forward to lighting the fires at Christmas and welcoming customers in for our first season.”

Thanks to John and his team, with an old venue enjoying a new life, and with traditional pub fayre back on the menu, the suitably autumnal Finch Hatton Arms is a deserved recommendation for Autumn dining this month.

For pub dining in Lincolnshire — visit the Finch Hatton Arms, Ewerby and experience English pub-restaurant food featuring traditional dishes created from local ingredients.