Nestled in what might just be the greenest nook in England, is The Churchill Arms. Right slap bang in the post card picturesque village of Paxford, near Chipping Camden, the pub sits, looking out over the nearby green. It’s a very English sort of pub. Yellow stone, polite shrubbery and a slate roof. Inside it’s airy and bright, with a small bar and a larger dining area. It’s certainly not an old man’s boozer and has a country cottage vibe.
This twee little joint is the inaugural solo venture of Head Chef Nick Deverell-Smith, fresh from the passes of London’s Dean Street Kitchen and Soho House. Before this he worked under some of the country’s best chefs, including Marco Pierre-White, Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing and Eric Chavot. It’s ‘theme’ is Best of British (hence why it’s named after Churchill himself!) and makes extensive use of local produce, sourced daily from the surrounding countryside. I’m told Chef Nick visits his neighbour’s garden every morning to pick sage, rosemary and thyme!
I visited there recently off the back of a road trip of Oxford and the Cotwolds (read post here). Sadly my dining companion was experiencing a bout of upset stomach (poor dear couldn’t hack the pace of eating on a Food Goblin trip) and I was faced with the prospect of eating a 3 course lunch for 2 alone. Challenge accepted. What would Churchill have said here? Something like 'Keep Calm and Carry On', I’m sure.
A little amuse bouche (unheard of in country pubs and undoubtedly picked up at Chef’s shinier posts) of salt fish croquettes were fabulous and set the benchmark for what would follow. Luckily starters kept up the pace: their signature smoked haddock twice baked souffléwith a white wine and chive butter sauce was exquisite. There’s an unctuous blend of light and rich that only a twice baked soufflé has, and the Churchill Arms delivered it. A second starter (I wasn’t kidding about the 2 x 3 course lunch) of sautéed scallops with lardons, pea and another rich, butter sauce also hit the mark. This was my sort of food – no nonsense, deep flavoured, simplicity….I scarfed it down.
It was Sunday and so I’d opted next for roasts: pork and beef. I’ll start with the things I liked. The pork was tenderly cooked and well flavoured, with a massive shard of salty crackling (top points). Instead of the customary apple sauce, Chef served it with a baked apple which was a nice touch. The Yorkshire puddings were done well and the beef was cooked pink (aka, properly). All good things. The item that didn’t reach such heights for me was their gravy. I’ll admit it; I’m a total gravy snob, but I don’t apologise for it – it’s the most important thing on a roast plate for me. A roast can live or die by the quality of its gravy. It can rescue dry meat, mask a poorly done Yorkshire, or raise an excellent roast to new and lofty heights. The Churchill Arms’ was over thickened with flour giving it almost the texture of a American Style Cream Gravy (which I detest) or custard. Come on Chef – I’ve tried your other sauces, you can do better.
Desserts reverted to the starters’ form. I tried a pineapple tart tatin with excellent rum and raisin ice-cream and a whole lot of caramel sauce. The caramel had been taken to just the right point and its sticky slight bitterness worked beautifully alongside that sweet, juicy pineapple.
Come by The Churchill Arms next time you’re in the area, or even take a trip out – it has rooms and fits nicely into the itinerary for a Cotswolds road trip like the one I recently published. For Great British grub, it hits the proverbial nail right on the head.
Paxford GL55 6XH, England
http://www.churchillarms.co
