The Duck on the Pond
South Newington, Oxfordshire
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Visitors to this recently refurbished Cotswold village pub are urged to 'take a walk round our garden to see what we grow’. Now in the hands of chef Hendrik Dutson-Steinfeld and his wife Julie, this set-up reflects the couple's strong commitment to locality and seasonality. After perusing the organic kitchen garden, and strolling past the little duck pond and terrace, you’ll enter the smart rustic interior (polished wooden tables, beams, exposed stone walls, a wood-burning stove) to find a menu where all the main ingredients have their provenance and food miles listed. Choose from the good-value set lunch, a 12-course tasting menu or the carte, which kicks off with a hunk of home-baked bread and home-churned butter plus a little appetiser. Next, there might be mouth-wateringly delicious beer and Cheddar soup (tasting like liquid Welsh rarebit) or a scrupulously described ‘cured retired dairy cow fillet’ that has travelled 37 miles from its farm – the latter slightly overwhelmed by a full-flavoured mound of grated Old Winchester cheese, but well-matched with mustard leaves from the garden (‘0 miles’). While there’s always a vegetarian option along with the occasional fish dish, local meat dominates the main courses. And very good it is too, judging by a serving of succulent chicken poached with wild mushrooms, which came with a pot of deeply savoury and nutty ‘heritage grains’ cooked in chicken stock. Likewise, pork belly was expertly roasted (juicy flesh, crisp crackling), its fattiness countered by a tangy apple sauce and piquant savoy cabbage preserved in apple vinegar. Indulgent desserts provide further evidence that ‘locality’ does not equate with ‘worthiness’. Our aromatic hay custard with caramelised milk crumble and honey/buttermilk ice cream engendered lots of smiles – as did the friendly, prompt service and a well-spread wine list with almost everything available by the glass.
