Daily changes at The Butcherʼs Arms in Priors Hardwick D
ining at The Butchers Arms in Priors Hardwick is always a
sumptuous experience and one that I used to restrict to high days and holidays. The food at The Butcher’s Arms is
fantastic – the ambience wonderful and the silver service cannot be bettered. All in all, the Butchers Arms at Priors Hardwick is one of the very best restaurants in the area – a fact that is never disputed. This enviable reputation comes at a cost however, and that could often be quite sizeable. This was the reason I kept visits to the restaurant for one of those very special occasions. However, times are changing and
the good news is that dining at The Butchers Arms has now become far more affordable. Affable proprietors Lino, Peter and Helen Pires have prepared a new daily menu to cater for lunchtime diners who, quite rightly, expect a variety of mains that change on more than a seasonal basis. That said, all the traditional Butcher’s Arms favourites can still be found – their a la carte menu providing anything a loyal customer could wish for. On the afternoon I visited The
Butchers Arms recently, the dining room was packed with lunchtime visitors - quite a feat in these cash strapped times - and I was assured that it was the same story in the evenings too.
Our meal was, of course, lovely
– I plumped for the home made fishcakes to start and my partner, the butterflied langoustines. Fresh and served with a smile, they couldn’t be faulted. The grilled calf’s
• Helen and Peter Pires in the super surroundings at The Butcherʼs Arms
T
he Inn dates from 1375 and is older than the church in the village. This is unusual as it was common for a hostelry to be built at the same time as the
church, so that workmen could use it for lodging and drinking. During the years drovers would stop with their cattle at the inn on their way to the nearby Old Welsh Road, bound for London. Today, visitors come from all over the world to visit The Butchers Arms to
savour the fine cuisine in beautiful surroundings. The Pires family has run the restaurant for nearly 40 years. The restaurant caters for all tastes with fresh produce sourced from all over
the country, creating an extensive menu reflecting the very best of English, Portugese and continental cuisine.
liver I had as a main was wonderful and Kate’s stroganoff, was, once more, perfect. I am not usually tempted by a dessert, but such is the aura of The Butcher’s Arms, I was eager to sample a dish from the best looking pudding trolley I have ever seen! The Portugese meringue was coated in a gorgeous crispy toffee and had been cooked like a crème caramel – the best pudding I have ever eaten! We shall be returning to The
Butcher’s Arms in the very near future for another lunchtime feast!
Daily lunchtime menu
Starter and main course - £18.75 Dessert £6.75 Starters
• Soup – spring minestrone with pesto. • Grilled goat’s cheese – thick slice cut from a log of French Goat’s cheese served on a bed of salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing. • Hot smoked Haddock rarebit – poached haddock on a bed of tomatoes with cheesy rarebit topping. • Butchers Arms garlicky snails on toast • Fried scampi – Covered in breadcrumbs, served with tartare sauce Mains
• Whole Cornish plaice – grilled and served on the bone with caper and parsley butter and new potatoes • Chicken Caesar salad – pan grilled strips of cornfed chicken on a bed of Kos lettuce tossed with Caesar dressing • Lamb Kleftico: Braised new season Cornish lamb shank in a red wine and rosemary sauce on a bed of creamy parsley Mash • Homemade pie of the day: Spring greens with blue spinach risotto • All of the above are silver served with seasonal vegetables
Desserts
Selection of freshly made desserts from the Trolley Cheese an extra £2.50
54 August 2011
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