{"id":601,"date":"2020-11-06T10:38:30","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T10:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland\/?p=601"},"modified":"2020-11-06T10:38:30","modified_gmt":"2020-11-06T10:38:30","slug":"the-bewicke-arms-at-hallaton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/food-and-drink\/the-bewicke-arms-at-hallaton\/11-2020","title":{"rendered":"The Bewicke Arms at Hallaton"},"content":{"rendered":"

This month\u2019s dining out recommendation is simply superb! It\u2019s a village pub restaurant that provides great quality dining in a lovely atmosphere. With its unfussy dining and great flavours The Bewicke Arms is a winner this winter!<\/h3>\n
\"Venison
Venison steak with curly kale, sweet pickled beetroot, carrot pur\u00e9e and juniper jus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe want to satisfy, not show off,\u201d say Erin and John. They\u2019re the custodians of this month\u2019s suggested dining out venue. And it\u2019s a proper belter.\u00a0If you\u2019ve time this month – and you should have, with most of the usual festivities curtailed by the nefarious virus – you should absolutely, definitely and unequivocally make your way over to Hallaton\u2019s Bewicke Arms. Over 450 years old, Grade II listed and built of thatch and ironstone, the place is absolutely beautiful.<\/p>\n

Inside there are open fires, stripped tables, stone walls and wonky beams. John has done a great job of decorating the place in a smart navy blue colour and has freshened the place up beautifully, but the charm of The Bewicke Arms is by no means merely superficial \u2013 its appeal runs much deeper.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the village is home to the old Leicestershire tradition of Easter Monday bottle-kicking; ostensibly an 18th century tradition but probably one with a longer history than that.<\/p>\n

It was of course cancelled this year, but in ordinary times it involves a hare pie, three bottles and a folklore-sanctioned scrap. The, rules – such as they are – state \u2018no eye-gouging, no strangling and no use of weapons,\u2019 but frankly if that even needs to be said, I\u2019m probably inclined to give it a miss.<\/p>\n

Instead, I\u2019ll visit this month to enjoy very good winter dining courtesy of the couple and their Head Chef Cosmin Bordeianu. Erin & John are a lovely couple and both were born and raised in the village.<\/p>\n

As teenagers, they each enjoyed a stint up to their elbows as potwashers and both later helped out behind the bar. The couple later worked in Gloucestershire where they lived for four years before deciding they wanted to return to their village.<\/p>\n

At that time Erin\u2019s mum, the pub\u2019s licensee, was looking for new custodians for the place and so Erin & John made the decision to run the place and moved in exactly a year ago as I write. Knowing the pub so well, they had a clear idea of the direction they thought The Bewicke Arms should go in.<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s 50-60 covers are all distributed around the building, so nowhere feels too crowded \u2013 especially important in times of social distancing \u2013 but among the various cute little candlelit spaces in which to dine, there\u2019s one area of note in particular.<\/p>\n

John refers to it as \u2018the cubby hole,\u2019 but from this point onward I\u2019m renaming it \u2018snogger\u2019s corner.\u2019 It\u2019s a lovely out-of-the-way nook with a table for two. Candlelit and intimate, it\u2019s the perfect place for a romantic meal\u2026 which brings us to the venue\u2019s food.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love dining out but we find ourselves frustrated when restaurants and their dishes try to be too complicated or fussy,\u201d says Erin.\u00a0 \u201cThis place has character, so we didn\u2019t need to reinvent its look or feel. Accordingly, we wanted the food to be about satisfying diners, not showing off. We wanted each dish to have flavour, not fuss.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair say they have a great relationship with Cosmin who\u2019s on the same page food wise. A single ingredient takes pride of place in a dish and is used to best effect \u2013 allowed to shine. Anything else used in the dish either enhances that ingredient, or it\u2019s omitted.<\/p>\n

The menu is gloriously simply and beautifully written. No fuss, no pretentiousness, just quality. Personally I dislike extensive menus with too much choice, and a chef with fewer dishes on the menu has, I feel, greater confidence in their ability to provide something appealing in fewer options.<\/p>\n

The Bewicke Arms has a single-sided menu which changes fortnightly, with around five starters, six main course options and two desserts plus a cheese option. I\u2019d order – and doubtless enjoy – each and every one of the main course options.<\/p>\n

Local ingredients are used extensively in each dish, with Tugby\u2019s Keythorpe Walled Garden providing vegetables, butchery sourced from the Beesley family – renowned local farmers – and local chocolatier Nenette providing bespoke seasonal truffles handmade especially for The Bewicke Arms\u2019 petit fours. Cosmin also makes his own ice creams, sorbets and bakes certain speciality breads in house whilst his kitchen garden yields microherbs and so on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also have our own really brilliant wine merchant who is local to us, really supportive and very proactive,\u201d says Erin. \u201cHe keeps an eye on our menu and makes suggestions for dishes accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a necessary element of their hospitality, because the area surrounding The Bewicke Arms is quite well-heeled and has its fair share of London commuters who expect to return home and enjoy a traditional country pub dining experience, but with the same quality food \u2013 and wine \u2013 they\u2019re used to in the city.<\/p>\n

And therein lies the talent of Erin, John and Cosmin. Together they have exercised great judgement in ensuring The Bewicke Arms is smart, but traditional, in its ambience and provides very high quality dishes, but still manages to remain faithful to its intended remit of unfussy and enjoyable dining.<\/p>\n

\"Trio
Trio of chocolate, comprising chocolate delice, white and vanilla chocolate parfait, chocolate roulade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On The Menu<\/h3>\n

Starters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lobster and salmon ravioli with beef consomm\u00e9 \u00a38.<\/p>\n

Pan fried scallops with black pudding bon bon, crispy house pancetta and pea pur\u00e9e \u00a38.<\/p>\n

Main Courses <\/strong><\/p>\n

Pan roasted Barbary duck breast with pumpkin pur\u00e9e, fondant potato, purple kale, roasted fig and blackberry jus \u00a317.<\/p>\n

Butter poached halibut with house spicy pork sausage, parsnip pur\u00e9e, lemon & tarragon gnocchi, and rainbow chard \u00a316.50.<\/p>\n

Venison steak with Dauphinoise potatoes, curly kale, sweet pickled beetroot, carrot pur\u00e9e and juniper jus \u00a317.<\/p>\n

Desserts <\/strong><\/p>\n

Trio of chocolate, comprising chocolate delice, white and vanilla chocolate parfait and chocolate roulade, \u00a37. Banana souffl\u00e9 with white chocolate ice cream \u00a36.<\/p>\n

NB: Featured dishes are subject to change.<\/em><\/p>\n

Open For Food<\/h3>\n

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday:<\/strong> Open 5pm – 10pm. Food served 6pm – 8.30pm,<\/p>\n

Saturday:<\/strong> 12 noon \u2013 10pm. Food served 12 noon \u2013 2pm and 6pm – 8.30pm.<\/p>\n

Sunday:<\/strong> 12 noon – 7pm. Food served 12 noon – 5pm.<\/p>\n

The Bewicke Arms, is located on Eastgate, Hallaton, LE16 8UB. Call 07511 785593 or see www.thebewicke.com.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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