Lincolnshire Restaurants: The Brownlow Arms, Hough on the Hill
Thank goodness for that. It’s not just nostalgia on my part. There’s nothing worse than remembering something enjoyable with fondness and revisiting it, only to discover the experience in question is not quite as good as memory would suggest.
Disappointing is an accusation that could never be levelled against the Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Soufflé served at The Brownlow Arms, even against the bar that nostalgia sets: it’s every bit as delicious as I remember. Same goes for the rest of their dishes.
Paul and Lorraine Willoughby say that the soufflé is such a favourite among diners that if they ever took it off the menu, there would be a revolt. Regular diners (of whom this quality pub restaurant has many) would mass outside brandishing placards and pitchforks. They’d demand the rich, creamy, cheesy starter with its ethereal core, sweet leeks and its crispy onions be immediately reinstated.
The couple renovated and reopened the place in 1979, and it has remained one of Lincolnshire’s most treasured pub restaurants ever since. It feels wonderfully cosy and welcoming, just as a rural pub restaurant should. But it also serves food the likes of which you’d have to travel far and wide to match, with a smart restaurant setting, lovely service and canny wine pairings.
The pub’s interiors look lovely, with wood panelling in a dark blue shade, traditional white table linen, chunky oak chairs upholstered in light fabric with blue ticking stripes, open fires and candles.
The building is rich in character too, built from local limestone in 1852, Grade II listed, with bay windows and stone-mullioned windows.
Paul, Lorraine and a brigade of chefs, led by David Newton, utilise local ingredients such as Gelston lamb, Lincolnshire-reared high-welfare beef and free-range pork, plus fish landed at Grimsby, which is delivered to the restaurant daily. Seasonal fruit & veg is sourced from Lincolnshire’s fields and bread is from Hambleton Bakery. The Brownlow Arms serves food on Tuesday to Saturday evenings and at its popular Sunday lunch service.
An à la carte menu changes seasonally and features a choice of six starters and eight main courses, including fillet steak and a chateaubriand for two.
There’s a choice of five home-made desserts plus ice creams and sorbets from Jude’s (the best ice cream Paul has ever tasted, he reckons), whilst Kirton Lindsey’s No12 Chocolatier provides hand-made truffles served with coffee. Paul has also curated a wine list which is rather wonderful, with some reasonably priced but well-chosen examples designed to pair well with the chefs’ dishes.
The Brownlow Arms is recognised in Harden’s and by the AA with two rosettes for its dining and five stars for its accommodation. ‘Old-fashioned country hospitality,’ and ‘exceptional dishes,’ says its website.
We can’t argue. Since 1979, the place has been one of the most consistently excellent and most well-respected quality pub restaurants in which to enjoy proper hospitality and great dishes in a lovely environment.
Opening times and booking: Food is served Tuesday to Saturday evenings and at Sunday lunch. The Brownlow Arms, Grantham Road, Hough on the Hill, Grantham NG32 2AZ. Call 01400 250234 or visit www.thebrownlowarms.com.
