Parkers Arms
Newton-in-Bowland, Lancashire
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The Trough of Bowland is rugged terrain, stretching expansively under skies that often look a hair's breadth off overcast, a setting in which Stosie Madi's country pub with its hanging baskets and outdoor tables could almost be mistaken for a gleaming white mirage. Thankfully, it's real enough, a homely, hospitable place where the culinary net is flung wide, against a solid backdrop of sterling Lancashire produce – Bowland outdoor-reared pork, Meanley Estate venison, wild local pheasant, Morecambe Bay sea bass, and the county's incomparable cheese. Pies may be thought an obvious pub stalwart, but what heights they achieve here, the pastrywork alone worth the journey, the fillings richly compelling – as witness a venison, mushroom and bacon stunner in a perfectly glazed pork-fat pastry case. They take their place in a standard three-course menu format (with excellent appetisers), following perhaps spätzle with roasted pumpkin cream and sage butter or citrus-cured Glenarm salmon with creamed horseradish and blood-orange sauce. Mains come with their incidentals on the side (silky mash, buttery greens), matching the likes of porchetta sauced with cider or 60-day Bowland beef fillet with wild mushrooms. Basque cheesecake has become a firm British favourite, and is rendered expertly here – or there might be apple and sultana puff with vanilla custard. Ales from the local Bowland Brewery are a heartening feature, and there's a modest wine list too.
