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FOOD & DRINK 017
Good pub food in the heart of the community
Kaz Russell-Graham
cooked traditional food in a friendly pub atmosphere – and this The Anchor Inn at Wingham can deliver.
W
My friend and I find welcoming warmth on both sides of the bar as we enter one humble Wednesday. The building, which dates back to the 17th century, has plenty of nooks and cosy corners. A folk group is about to perform upstairs (sold out!), but it’s food we’re here for.
The menu is extensive: steaks, ribs, gammon, burgers, pies – but there’s also pasta, salads, sandwiches, Ploughman’s, a cheeseboard – and specials, too. Food is locally sourced and only the peas are frozen! Mains hover around £10 – the summer evening has turned chilly and
e do have eating moods (fine dining? exotic?) but sometimes the soul craves well-
everything sounds good. We share a very tasty starter:
REVIEW
Garlic and Stilton Mushrooms with Toast (£4.95), which is creamy, includes a well-textured mushroom medley and is on the right side (light) of ‘stilton-ness’ for me. The portion is generous, the toast and salad fresh. I’d like to eat it all again. Staff are attentive (a jug of water arrives unbidden) and fellow diners cordial. There is evidence of much going on – from jive lessons to petanque – this is definitely a pub that honours its community. For mains my friend chooses Poached Scottish Salmon with a Pesto Crust (£11.50), opting for chips over the suggested sautéed potatoes and all perfectly acceptable. I tentatively choose steak (I’ve had a few ‘chewy’ steaks
lately) and am delighted when it arrives cooked exactly as I requested and when (with its accompanying peppercorn sauce) it melts in my mouth. A complete potato fan I choose wedges over chips, and we share a well-heaped bowl of four vegetables that we sadly cannot finish… However, a short break sipping our respective wines (Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc) creates a small space for dessert. A brownie arrives, beautifully presented with a tangy fruit sauce and ice cream. Hot, aromatic coffee complements the sweet dessert and the soul is satisfied. • The Anchor Inn, High Street, Wingham CT3 1BJ, visit
www.theanchoratwingham. com or call 01227 720392.
Why The Anchor at Wingham has plenty to celebrate
This month, the Abbott family celebrates five years at the helm of The Anchor Inn, Wingham, along with exciting news about being shortlisted as finalist in the 2017 Great British Pub Awards for not one, but two categories.
In August 2012 when Michelle and Kevin Abbott arrived at The Anchor, they had no experience of running pubs, just drinking in them!
The Anchor was a tired and troubled place and in need of some serious TLC… Five years on, the Abbotts have transformed it into a wonderful village pub, restaurant and music venue, winning a string of awards along the way. • In 2013 they were awarded National Best
Newcomers
to the Licensed Trade at the Publican’s Morning Advertisers Great British Pub Awards (considered to be the Oscars of the licensed trade). • In 2014 they picked up the GBPA Best Entertainment Pub award. • Earlier in 2017 The Anchor was National Runner-Up in the PRS 2017 Music Makeover (a highly coveted music industry award). In addition to this, in April landlady Michelle received The Jack Jolly Award for her services to the community of Wingham by the Parish Council. The Anchor has also received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2017 and was CAMRA runner-up for Pub of the Season. Next month, on 7th September, Michelle and Kevin will be heading to the London Hilton on Park Lane for the finals of the 2017 Great British Pub awards – in which The Anchor has been shortlisted for Best Entertainment Pub as well as Best Pub Garden – where the National
Champions in each of the awards’ 17 categories will be announced, along with the overall champion – the Great British Pub of the Year 2017, who will be selected from all category winners. “The last five years have been a bit of a whirlwind for us,” said Michelle. “It’s been really hard work but very rewarding too. We receive kind words from our customers every day but to be consistently recognised by the trade in this way has been a real boost for us – I sometimes have to pinch myself to check it’s not all just a dream.” There’s always something going on at The Anchor – from Sunday afternoon live music sessions, jive classes, tai chi, quizzes, open mic’s, acoustic jamming sessions, music festivals, the list goes on and on and on! • For more details of the packed events programme, menus, facilities and history of The Anchor, visit www.
theanchoratwingham.com, call 01227 720392 or email
abbottmichelle8@aol.com
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