The Leaping Hare
Stanton, Suffolk
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Maybe it’s the gentle lamplight and daisy-fresh posies on every table, or the bistro-style paper over chequered linen, or the cushioned comfort of the seats in this vast converted barn. Or maybe it’s the reliably delicious food on a menu whose appeal doesn’t fade with the years – or the pandemic. There’s something reassuring about a meal here. You won’t find experimental cooking, no dibs, dabs and dots, but you will find generosity of flavour (and portions), and a firm sense of place. The kitchen looks first to its immediate surrounds for ingredients. The Wyken Estate provides abundant game – perhaps roast pheasant with celeriac, cabbage and bacon, or venison, roasted till just pink and served with pickled, puréed and roasted cauliflower and haggis bonbons. Asparagus from the Estate shines for its short few weeks, and the wider region amply delivers pork, seafood and produce according to season. Even the chocolates offered with coffee are hyper-local, made by former head chef Simon Woodrow. Chalk stream trout, albeit from further afield, makes a fine starter, the richness of the fish balanced with pops of pickled mustard seeds, slivers of fennel and the dill running through a spoonful of cream cheese. Crostini add crunch. Follow it perhaps with duck breast, served perfectly tender alongside a faggot, crisp-edged dauphinoise and the vividly freshening flavour and colour of spring greens and rhubarb. Finish with a prettily presented iced pavlova which might sing with more of that rhubarb, or gooseberries or passion fruit depending on the time of year. Wines from the Wyken Vineyard are an obvious choice from the short, carefully selected list.
