{"id":1228,"date":"2024-07-21T10:16:10","date_gmt":"2024-07-21T10:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland\/?p=1228"},"modified":"2024-07-21T10:17:18","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T10:17:18","slug":"dining-out-at-the-nevill-arms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/food-and-drink\/dining-out-at-the-nevill-arms\/07-2024","title":{"rendered":"Dining Out at the Nevill Arms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This month we\u2019re enjoying a brilliant dining experience in a very pretty setting with a visit to Medbourne\u2019s Nevill Arms. Expect pasture-to-plate traceability, dishes prepared with skill and flair, and wonderful outdoor dining provision for when the sun is shining<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ufeffSometimes, you just can\u2019t help feeling optimistic. Our visit to The Nevill Arms took place on a Friday afternoon. An enjoyable drive to the pub-restaurant, located in the village of Medbourne, took us past rolling fields, beyond Uppingham and through pretty ironstone villages on the way to Harborough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scenery alone was enough to lift the spirits, but it was also a really sunny day and the weekend before the beginning of the Euros tournament. England could, the tabloids assured us, go \u2018all the way,\u2019 not that you\u2019d bet your life savings on that as we\u2019re all too familiar with our national reputation for failing spectacularly at penalties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I was a betting man, I\u2019d have felt more comfortable predicting that The Nevill Arms was going to be a belter of a pub restaurant, absolutely perfect for summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The place is part of The Three Goats Group, and we\u2019re already familiar with two of their other premises, namely No. 23 in Uppingham \u2013 a spectacularly good Mediterranean inspired kitchen, bar and terrace \u2013 and Great Bowden\u2019s really smashing dining pub, The Red Lion. The company also owns Great Easton\u2019s Sun Inn and its rustic wedding venue, Castle View, near Rockingham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our anticipation of good things was immediately validated by The Nevill Arms\u2019s setting. The pub restaurant nestles by Medbourne Brook, one of the little tributaries of the Welland, and after parking up, you cross the little timber bridge and go past the front terrace towards the pub, which looks truly lovely when the late-afternoon sunshine is giving its ironstone frontage a nice warm glow. Above the door, written in 19th century script, is the Grade II listed pub\u2019s name and confirmation of the date it was rebuilt, after a fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The eponymous country estate of Nevill Holt dates back to the 13th century and in 2000 it was purchased by opera patron, businessman and philanthropist David Ross who brought an annual programme of live opera to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms was purchased by The Three Goats Group  in 2021 and treated to a comprehensive transformation courtesy of interior designer Carrie Cripps who took her inspiration from Chelsea\u2019s Beaverbrook Town House. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dark inky tones of Farrow & Ball\u2019s Hague Blue are lifted by whimsical woodland wallpaper in the reception, thoughtfully considered lighting and little pops of burnt orange, for instance on the scatter cushions in the restaurant\u2019s banquettes and the leather sofas next to the inglenook fireplace in the bar… it\u2019s all very lovely and welcoming!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms\u2019s beauty isn\u2019t superficial either. Its offering of quality dining is really impressive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group Executive Chef Chris Bolan is  this month celebrating his first anniversary with the company, having returned to his native Leicestershire with his young family after spending a number of years working in London, including a decade at Clapham\u2019s Michelin-starred restaurant Trinity where he was Head Chef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Already familiar with the pub, Chris had the remit of maintaining and building upon its reputation for offering exceptional dishes, though he\u2019s too modest to express his talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy approach is to source the best quality ingredients and treat them with care, respect and attention to detail. Even if the components in a dish are relatively humble, you can still produce the \u2018wow\u2019 factor. Ultimately, it\u2019s not about the chef, it\u2019s about the food. As a chef, I\u2019m really just a middleman between the ingredients and the guests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur vision is to produce as much of what we serve as we can, but to partner with the best (preferably local) suppliers who share our values to source the items we can\u2019t produce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms is supplied by its own 160-acre farm at Great Easton and its herd of entirely grass-fed Belted Galloways, as well as 100 Suffolk Cross Cheviot lambs, whilst a couple of Oxford Sandy Black pigs are hanging in the fridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms is self-sufficient in beef and lamb \u2013 not quite in pork \u2013 and butchering is done both by Gwilym Owen\u2019s team at Launde Farm Foods, then by the team in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pub restaurant is also in the process of creating its own kitchen garden to supplement its herb garden in the courtyard, where a Josper grill and bar provides summer diners with al fresco dining options from a quality burger to grilled plaice with Jersey Royals and asparagus, or a pulled lamb dish with charred flatbreads, Tzatziki and feta, to be enjoyed in the sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fish is purchased directly from boats \u2013 not from a fish market \u2013 with artisanal suppliers preferred, such as the Fowey-based family who land the mussels used to create our moules marini\u00e8re starter, a faithful interpretation of a French bistro favourite with its traditional white wine, garlic, shallot and cream sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another \u2018supplier\u2019 of note is Max Woolnough, General Manager and keen fisherman who lands trout at local reservoirs which is then cured and used to create, for instance, our starter dish, with blood orange, almond and watercress. Other local suppliers include a villager and customer whose hives provide gooey honey, plus Hambleton Bakery, and Noel\u2019s gelato. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth mentioning that Chris and the team also bake their own speciality bread and make the pub-restaurant\u2019s own soft-serve ice creams and sorbets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The restaurant\u2019s wine list has been curated by Max and Ops Director Will Darby in conjunction with Berkmann Wine Cellars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It would be remiss of us not to mention The Nevill Arms\u2019s 10 bedrooms, too. Each one is individually decorated and absolutely beautiful, with lovely little touches like homemade hedgerow gin and freshly-baked biscuits, plus a handwritten welcome note  for each guest. Even locals take advantage of the rooms, enjoying dinner followed by an overnight stay rather than getting a ride home at the end of the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Director Raj Uppal is rightly proud of the place and says: \u201cWe attract visitors from far and wide, but The Nevill Arms is also very much a hub of village life \u2013 the centre of the community for those who live locally, even if they just want to meet a friend for a drink or a quick bite to eat on a midweek evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbove all, we want to offer world-class food, facilities and service, while staying true to traditional pub and country hotel values, such as real fires and a warm welcome for muddy paws in the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In respect of the above, the team really have exceeded that brief. The Nevill Arms really is a masterclass in what a quality pub restaurant should be. It looks stunning, the welcome is warm… and the food is terrific!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ufeffThe Nevill Arms, Medbourne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STARTERS
House cured local trout with goats curd, beetroot ketchup, pickled fennel and blood orange, \u00a311.
Half shell Fowey scallops with black pudding and orange in vanilla & cardamon sauce, \u00a314.
Belted Galloway beef carpaccio with hot honey cured egg yolk, ponzu dressing, pickled ginger, and wasabi emulsion, \u00a312.
Leek, potato and lovage soup with thyme croutons and cr\u00e8me fraiche, \u00a38.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAIN COURSES
Duck leg confit with peas a la Francoise, pancetta, chervil, lettuce, radish, duck-fat roast potatoes, \u00a324.
8oz Belted Galloway ribeye steak with Bordelaise sauce, confit tomato, parsley breaded flat mushroom, French fries and house salad, \u00a334.
Great Easton lamb loin with wild garlic sauce, dauphinoise potato, purple sprouting broccoli, \u00a326.
Belted Galloway beef burger with grilled onion, smoked bacon, Emmental cheese, burger sauce, house salad & french fries, \u00a321.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DESSERT
Honey vanilla parfait with poached rhubarb, and white chocolate crumb, \u00a39.
Earl Grey tea sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and Madagascan vanilla ice cream, \u00a39.
Chocolate brownie with whipped mascarpone, bee pollen, Madagascan vanilla ice cream, \u00a39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NB: Sample menu and featured dishes, subject to availability and change.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms
Medbourne, Uppingham<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pitch: \u201cSet in the picturesque village of Medbourne, in the heart of the beautiful Welland Valley. The Nevill Arms is an old stable yard and coaching inn which has undergone a major refurbishment whilst still keeping its original character.\u201d
Opening Hours: Open seven days for food, Breakfast until 10.30am, lunch from 12 noon, dinner from 6pm. Josper Bar & Grill 12 noon to 8pm Friday-Sundays in summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nevill Arms, Medbourne, Market Harborough LE16 8EE Call 01858 565288 or see www.nevillarms.co.uk.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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