Things did not start well. We were on a day trip to Warwick which had proved fairly disappointing so far. Now we were hungry. Tempers were frayed and sarcastic jibes were getting less jovial and more venomous. We needed food. She was on the spy for a twee little tearoom with 'lovely' cakes or, failing that, a ghastly chain coffee shop with it's sweaty, plastic sandwiches and gratuitously loud coffee machines. I on the other hand was on the lookout for somewhere with at least the potential of providing a decent feed and maybe even some nutritional value. I do like tea and scones but let's be honest; they're not a meal.
Eventually we ended up going into the Merchants for no other reason than it was beside us when our tempers finally snapped. However it was still not plain sailing. The Merchants is a pub and that meant I had "won". She was therefore determined not to like it! Menus were eyed with suspicion bordering on disdain as flaws were looked for..
Then the food came. Two bowls of hearty soup and a portion of chips later and we were back to liking each other. Not just that; the Merchants had secured it's place in our affections. So much so, my girlfriend decided, virtually on the spot, that she wanted to return there for her birthday.
The pub itself has a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. A feature I particularly enjoyed was the menu; it was displayed on blackboards around the wall. There were also some rather amusing flow charts to help people decide the details of their dishes. What impressed us most was the philosophy with which it was run. Everything about it was truly local from the produce on the menu to the chefs in the kitchen who had trained at the local catering college. That said, it wasn't done in a pious or preachy way. The brothers who own it seem to have a genuine love of their area and care for their community.
Our second trip wasn't quite as much of a success. This time was the birthday dinner mentioned before. The first thing that lost it points was the fact that the Merchants isn't dog friendly which in turn meant that my girlfriend's beloved hound wasn't able to participate in the festivities (read scavenge food off plates). Service was also painfully slow at times. If it has been a busy night then there would have been some excuse but the night we were there, it was very quiet. Now I am the first to admit that near-constant offers of new drinks is a mite irritating, enormous gaps between drinks wasn't enormous fun either. Presenting my girlfriend's aunt with a small glass of wine was a bit of a faux pas too.
Food wise; it was good but not astonishing. I liked that the ingredients were combined in dishes to give a slightly exotic feel and move away from the traditional pints and pies associated with pub grub. However some of the execution left a bit to be desired. For a starter I had smoked trout with parsnip crisps which was rather nice. The only problem was that it was tangled up in a mire of superfluous green stuff which had to be waded through and picked apart. Net result: I was left feeling frustrated and a bit unsatisfied.
Things picked up with my main course. I had a delicious chicken dish with risotto and chorizo. There was just enough spice to make everything interesting and the chorizo was fried to the point of being slightly crispy giving a lovely blend of textures as well as flavours. Critically, there was also a decent amount on the plate and it was unencumbered by rabbit food. I also had a chance to try the herby pancakes stuffed with cheese and mushrooms. I surprised myself by really rather liking the vegetarian option. The addition of herbs to the pancakes made the dish lively and the mushrooms gave a nice texture to it. One down side was that the sweet-potato chips were a bit limp and greasy although they tasted fabulous. Given that the pancakes were very generously proportioned I might also be a bit controversial and say that two per portion was a bit on the generous side!
Desert was, as always, a cheese board. I found the selection of cheese (a cheddar, brie and blue cheese) a bit uninspiring but this was mitigated a) by hearty portion sizes and b) by the fact that I was provided with sufficient biscuits and bread to be able to eat all the cheese. I always find it enormously frustrating when tucking into a decent cheeseboard when I run out of means to eat it and have to try and juggle various morsels to get them to my mouth. My girlfriend had the chocolate brownie and I can only guess from the fervour with which it was demolished, that it was quite nice!
So overall conclusion? Despite my grumblings, I would strongly recommend this place for a decent plate of food at a reasonable price. Yes the wait was a bit irksome but ultimately it was good food and enhanced by the fact it was sourced locally and prepared by locals not microwaved from the freezer.
TFB
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