This month we’re enjoying a visit to Millers, based in the centre of Sleaford. It’s an exceptional place, offering daytime dining, evening meals and delicious treats from ice cream and crêpes to chocolates

I must admit to being a little biased when it comes to this month’s Dining Out recommendation. Born and raised in Boston, I moved to Sleaford back in 2008 and enjoy many things about the town, not least among which is its restaurant scene. 

Just a short walk from my home is Millers where, for disclosure’s sake, I’ve enjoyed many a great meal. The place bills itself as a bar and restaurant, but in fact offers a good deal more. From morning coffee or a drink in the evening to brunch, lighter lunches, or quality evening dining, there’s nothing that Millers doesn’t do well. Latterly the restaurant has created an ice cream parlour with crêperie and a chocolate shop on site too.

Back in the 18th century, the building was on the wharf of the River Slea and serviced merchants trading commodities, from wool to grains to bottled water from the town’s Lee & Green. Some time later the place became a bar named O’Connells and in 2013 it was reinvented by Hannah & Robert Hodgson, who sought to provide high quality dining from the place instead. 

Hannah’s nephew Anthony Smith was Head Chef and in 2019 became the owner of Millers. Anthony has also taken over and  refurbished Ewerby’s Finch Hatton Arms and added to Millers its adjacent ice cream shop – offering takeaway cones and crêpes – and its chocolate shop, which offers truffles with around 30 flavours and variations. He has also opened The Spire, a coffee shop based at Anwick Garden Centre with its range of homemade cakes, brunch and lunch options.

Back to Millers though, and ordinarily I’d be sceptical of a place which professes to offer everything from drinks to morning coffee and brunch, scones and cakes (all baked in house), and lunchtime dining… as well as top quality evening dining, too. Somehow though, Millers does it all, and it does it well.

Anthony, with chefs Richard & Bruce, utilise local suppliers like Wards of Ruskington and Moorcroft, and they invest lots of effort in their dishes, even baking their own bread during evening service and creating their own mini focaccia.

During the daytime there’s a choice of brunch options plus sandwiches and paninis as well as nine quality pub-restaurant inspired dishes, ‘Millers Classics,’ from fish ‘n’ chips to flat iron steak and sausage ‘n’ mash.

Evening service sees a choice of five starters, 10 Classics (including a couple of risottos; haddock & chips; sausage & mash, ribs and a very good burger option) plus a steak menu.

Millers was always a good bet for a steak, but such was its popularity with local diners that it naturally gained a reputation as the area’s most well-regarded steakhouse and has adopted that as its unique selling point.

Today there’s a choice of five chargrilled steaks plus gammon and pork chop options, with four sauces and accompaniments of garlic mushroom and balsamic slow-roasted tomato with decent chips: fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. It’s a clever menu which offers plenty of choice whilst still remaining efficient for the busy team in the kitchen.

Desserts are a real treat too, with a daily-changing blackboard of puddings plus a selection of waffles and crêpes, all made in house. We also ought to mention the dedicated Sunday lunch menu too, which provides one, two or three courses for £14, £18 and £22 respectively, including roast beef and pork options. It’s one of the best Sunday lunches in the area, with satisfyingly large Yorkshire puddings, a glossy, rich gravy, and no effort spared.

A trip for Sunday lunch in January or February is easy to recommend, but with Valentine’s Day and Mothering Sunday approaching, look out for dedicated menus and consider the chocolate shop to treat mum to some luxury truffles too!

Later in the year, Millers also has a lovely sunny garden at the rear of the restaurant and an additional terrace at the front of the restaurant, both ideal for enjoying a pre-dinner drink or an ice cream or waffle. 

A final word too for the team at front of house. The place feels genuinely friendly, nothing is too much trouble and the overall experience has always been lovely. There’s very enjoyable dining, with plenty of choice, in a great setting with lots of character. Millers is easy to recommend and somewhere you’ll enjoy returning to, time and again.

Millers Bar & Restaurant, in Sleaford

Starters
Oak-smoked salmon served with lemon & herb crème fraîche pickled shallot & brown seeded bread, £8.
Thyme & rosemary Camembert served with garlic focaccia & red onion chutney, £11.

Millers Classics

Pea, mint and spinach risotto served with crispy rocket, £14.
Chicken and chorizo risotto served with rocket & pickled shallot, £14.
Full rack of ribs topped with BBQ sauce & served with beer battered onion rings, dressed side salad, coleslaw & chips, £20.
Hunters chicken with chargrilled chicken breast, bacon, BBQ sauce & cheese, served with salad, coleslaw & chips, £14.

Chargrilled Steaks

Flat iron steak classically cut from the shoulder, delivers a very strong beef flavour, £12.
Sirloin steak, cut from the back muscle; very tender, £16.
Fillet steak, cut from the lower middle back, the most tender of all the cuts,  £25.
All served with steak sauce of choice garlic mushroom & balsamic slow roasted tomato.

Desserts

Raspberry cheesecake waffle or crépe, with whipped cream cheese, crumbled digestives, fresh raspberries, £7.50.
Banoffee waffle with caramel sauce, fresh banana, £7.50.

NB: This is a sample menu, and featured dishes are subject to availability and change.

Millers Bar & Restaurant

The Pitch: “Good, wholesome food made with quality ingredients that are ethically, responsibly and, where possible, locally sourced, served in pleasant surroundings.”
Main Meals Served Wednesday – Saturday: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 9pmSunday from 12pm – 4pm.
Millers, Mill Court, Carre Street Sleaford NG34 7TW. Call 01529 414888 or see www.millerssleaford.com.