Out & About July 2017

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The Newbury, 37 Bartholomew St,
Newbury, RG14 5HB,
01635 49000,
Pictures: Dijana Capan
Our starters were a slate of scallops,
cod brandade kedgeree breadcrumbed
balls, coronation dressing, raisins and
mango purée, £12.50. The scallops were
beautifully cooked and the cod balls
packed a strong hit of cod and curry.
The celeriac and truffle veloute, £8.50,
was light and creamy, flecked with pea
shoots and other greenery with little black
truffled slivers – the star in the centre was
a large hen’s egg encased in crunchy
breadcrumbs, which leaked a golden yolk
into the veloute when cut into.
We could have chosen a charcuterie
sharing board at £14.95, a breast of
pigeon with blackberry and parsnip purée
and hazelnut brittle at £9.50 or a ham
hock ballotine with piccalilli and olive oil at
£7.50 and a good few more.
We had a lovely Gris Blanc Rosé from
Gerard Bertrand at £26.50 but there’s also
an amazing South African chenin blanc at
£19 a bottle or a Bishops Leap sauvignon
on the extensive wine list.
As the pub thinned out – it had been full
with 80 covers when we arrived – we
retired to a comfy leather sofa to order
dessert and espresso martinis.
The pub really is a home-from-home
for owner Pete who has brought a lot of
artwork from his home to the walls of
The Newbury, plus there are local artists’
works that show the races at Newbury –
and on the mantelpiece in the bar area
two stunning horse-head metal sculptures.
The rest of the pub has unique touches
and it’s worth having a walk round and a
nosey in the nooks and crannies.
Meanwhile, the desserts kept up the
standard.
So as not to disappoint readers (well that’s
our excuse) we were allowed a board with
a few to try.
And get this – my stodge-hating dining
companion wolfed down a very light,
yet rich at the same time, sticky toffee
pudding.
As sous chef Mo Farhan explained, they
hit on the formula when one day they
didn’t have enough dates so used half
dates/half prunes. It’s often how great
dishes are born.
There was also a fabulously crunchy-
topped crumble of winter fruits and
apple, a mix that was sweet with a hint
of sourness.
The Nemesis chocolate cake with
Nemesis chocolate ice cream was the
richest of all the dishes we had and utterly
gorgeous. The orange and passionfruit
tart with just a brushing of chocolate on
the pastry base broke open and took us to
somewhere in the sun and the prune and
Armagnac and the Tonka bean ice creams
were deep with flavour.
The Newbury is an ambitious pub. Pete
and Darren have some great ideas. At the
time of writing, many evenings are themed
– so Tuesday is grazing night, a kind of
fine dining experience, Wednesday is pie
night, Friday is fish night and steak is on
Thursdays.
Whatever night you go, the kitchen and
pass are open to view, there’s a cocktail
bar upstairs and, for summer and warmer
days, a roof terrace with removeable roof
and sides and an outdoor pizza oven.
Private parties are welcome and Darren
had just completed a 133-head vegan
banquet the night before for a vegan
birthday girl, without turning a hair.
That’s just how they do things at The
Newbury – nothing fazes them as they
turn out some of the best food around.
Top left, slate of scallops, cod branade kedgeree breadrumbed balls, coronation dressing, raisins and mango puree top right, celeriac and truffle veloute,
above roast sharing board, right crunchy topped winter fruits crumble, below, prune and Armagnac and Tonka bean ice cream
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