Hampshire is known for it's horses. New Forest Ponies are known internationally despite their habit of picking fights with cars. Moving away from postcards and on to betting slips, a famous stud farm and racing stables are within the county's borders.
Next door is the Running Horse pub. Unsurprisingly, it has a bit of a racing theme. However, despite this, gimmicks are not the stock in trade here. Good food and excellent beer are the front runners.
The pub has recently come under new management. As well as refurbishing the interior, the kitchen is cooking up a storm. Fresh, local produce is very much the order of the day. Not only was most of it alive until very recently (and in some cases, running around), it is beautifully prepared.
My starter was rope grown moules marinier. The mussels were plentiful; the sauce rich and creamy with just the right amount of garlic. It was served with a slice of toast, which seemed like a bit of an afterthought, and a spoon for the delicious sauce. There were enough mussels for a hearty starter and the remaining sauce filled any residual gaps.
The main course was roasted guinea-fowl with fondant potatoes, onion puree and a hazelnut/madiera sauce. It was magnificent. The guinea-fowl was rich and succulent with an intense flavour. The fondant potato light and fluffy with a delicious, earthy flavour. Everything was topped off perfectly by the sweet, rich sauce. There were a couple downsides to the dish. Firstly, the plate was lettered with some green gunk. I can only presume it was there for colour as it didn't look appetising. Painting a strategic bit on the plate might be a better alternative. Second was the fact that the dish was almost 20 minutes late. Unfortunately it had been missed off the order. To their credit, the staff handled it well and with great tact assuring me that it was being cooked at warp speed 6! Was it worth it? I think so.
Dessert was my traditional cheese board. There were a delicious variety of rich cheeses combined with plenty biscuits and some rather nice chutney. A perfect mix of tangy and creamy flavours which rounded off the meal nicely
All of this was washed down with a couple of pints of Tipster, an ale from the brewery owned by the company. Again, the emphasis on local produce! Although the beer wasn't brewed especially for the pub, it was still a nice touch.
The interior of the pub was elegantly decorated without the surroundings stealing the show from the food. A particular feature I liked were the tweed coverings on the cushions of the bench seats. The tables were uniformly large so there was always plenty space to spread out food, drinks and limbs.
Overall, well worth a visit. The delay in my main course lost it a few points but everyone makes mistakes and I'm more than happy to give it the benefit of the doubt for the first time.
TFB
Next door is the Running Horse pub. Unsurprisingly, it has a bit of a racing theme. However, despite this, gimmicks are not the stock in trade here. Good food and excellent beer are the front runners.
The pub has recently come under new management. As well as refurbishing the interior, the kitchen is cooking up a storm. Fresh, local produce is very much the order of the day. Not only was most of it alive until very recently (and in some cases, running around), it is beautifully prepared.
My starter was rope grown moules marinier. The mussels were plentiful; the sauce rich and creamy with just the right amount of garlic. It was served with a slice of toast, which seemed like a bit of an afterthought, and a spoon for the delicious sauce. There were enough mussels for a hearty starter and the remaining sauce filled any residual gaps.
The main course was roasted guinea-fowl with fondant potatoes, onion puree and a hazelnut/madiera sauce. It was magnificent. The guinea-fowl was rich and succulent with an intense flavour. The fondant potato light and fluffy with a delicious, earthy flavour. Everything was topped off perfectly by the sweet, rich sauce. There were a couple downsides to the dish. Firstly, the plate was lettered with some green gunk. I can only presume it was there for colour as it didn't look appetising. Painting a strategic bit on the plate might be a better alternative. Second was the fact that the dish was almost 20 minutes late. Unfortunately it had been missed off the order. To their credit, the staff handled it well and with great tact assuring me that it was being cooked at warp speed 6! Was it worth it? I think so.
Dessert was my traditional cheese board. There were a delicious variety of rich cheeses combined with plenty biscuits and some rather nice chutney. A perfect mix of tangy and creamy flavours which rounded off the meal nicely
All of this was washed down with a couple of pints of Tipster, an ale from the brewery owned by the company. Again, the emphasis on local produce! Although the beer wasn't brewed especially for the pub, it was still a nice touch.
The interior of the pub was elegantly decorated without the surroundings stealing the show from the food. A particular feature I liked were the tweed coverings on the cushions of the bench seats. The tables were uniformly large so there was always plenty space to spread out food, drinks and limbs.
Overall, well worth a visit. The delay in my main course lost it a few points but everyone makes mistakes and I'm more than happy to give it the benefit of the doubt for the first time.
TFB
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