The Yew Tree Inn Highclere, near Newbury, Berkshire
The meal: Lunch
The embarrassment etched across the waiter's face was plain for all to see. Well, he had asked me if I preferred "white" Sauvignon Blanc. And, while he quickly realised his clanger, it was hardly the most encouraging start in a hostelry that had come highly recommended. The Yew Tree, I had been assured, offered great pub food without the modern-day marketing frills. And that's a formula that always lures me. Just 60 miles from London, in a village that seems to have been forgotten by time — even though it's only four miles from the M4 — it certainly appeared to offer the right ingredients.
It's billed as a 17th-century inn. And, sure, there is a real Yew Tree sitting in the car park. Yet the 21st-century blackboard of fare designed to entice motorists from the A343 was hardly encouraging. But sure enough, once inside, and while struggling to forget the waiter's faux pas, I rapidly warmed to the place. My starter, roasted tomato and cumin soup, was served in a bowl that was almost large enough to swim in. So, at £3.95, it was good value, if disappointingly bland in taste. For a main course, I had a 1lb 4oz Scottish rib of beef with accompanying tomato stuffed with mushrooms and fresh herbs. That was served with chipped Maris Piper potatoes and available at a total price of £16.95.
Sadly, the stuffed tomato was not to my taste. But given that the sizzling hunk of beef was Scottish product at its finest, this was eating in the 17th-century banquet style. In short, it was the largest single portion piece of beef I have ever encountered in a British pub. My companion went for a slightly more delicate plate, given that she selected Duck confit, with bubble and squeak and honey and orange jus. Imaginative dish that, and judging by the way she wolfed it down, a tasty one too. I couldn't face a dessert, given my dramatic assault on the beef rib.
So I missed the opportunity to sample an ornate sticky toffee pudding with crème anglaise,that looked as if it had been constructed by a firm of London architects. The low oak beams and mysterious nooks and crannies gave an authentic ambience that your average American tourist would die for. Mercifully, they were absent. It wasn't a cheap pub meal. But, by golly, it was a good one.
Pub Chef rating (marks out of 10)Ambience: 9 Value for money: 8 Overall impression: 9 Flavour Factor: 9