We’d had a tip off! Had we tried The Back Lane Tavern‘s roast? We’d been to the esteemed Woodstock gastropub for dinner, lunch, drinks, coffee but roast no.
So come Sunday there we were, napkins at the ready, a Bloody Mary down, sneaking in just before last orders at 4pm, ready to be impressed.
The word is already out though, the place packed to the rafters even at this late hour with families, couples and friends enjoying the age old tradition in style.
We’re good at roasts in our house, going all out. It’s that irresistible mix of family time with all the trimmings, so a better one is hard to find, but I have to say The Back Lane excelled.
‘a roast is unquestionably a sum of its parts and while the accompanying veg can often be a poor side show, here they were allowed equal billing. In fact they shone’
More than that, there is such a lovely, buzzy atmosphere there, the dining room beautifully decorated, and despite being deliciously informal, it still has a refined atmosphere and heart-warming service, the food being the star of the show.
Starting off with the small plate menu for starters; we shared some of their infamous Korean chicken wings with blue cheese dip (we’re still unable to find better wings despite much research) and the burrata di bufala, red pepper caponata, almond pesto and croutons (£8), which came in a ramekin, the cheese hidden by the pesto and peppers so that when you used the croutons (akin to Melba toast) as a scoop, the ensuing mouthful was piquant, textured and bursting with flavour.
But of course the roast was the main attraction, and there are four options; the 36 day aged sirloin of beef, horseradish & mustard cream (£21), Cotswold leg of lamb, mint and parsley sauce (£19), slow cooked pork belly, crackling, roast apple sauce (£19) and the butternut squash, almond, red lentil and goats cheese wellington (£16) all served with beef fat roast potatoes, truffled celeriac puree, roasted carrots and parsnips, creamed leeks, hispi cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.
Heavily burdened plates started streaming out of the kitchen – slices of perfectly cooked beef, red in the middle, the knives just gliding through. Juicy, tender, and absolutely delicious. The lamb matched in terms of taste, flavour and the quality of the meat. They should pat their butchers on the back.
‘slices of perfectly cooked beef, red in the middle, the knives just gliding through. Juicy, tender, and absolutely delicious’
The veggie option was another delight, instead of big unwieldy chunks of veg and cheese, the ingredients were blended in the pithivier-like pastry case, its own moreish pot of gravy which so deep and rich in flavour we had to order a second jug.
But a roast is unquestionably a sum of its parts and while the accompanying veg can often be a poor side show of boiled accruements, here they were allowed equal billing. In fact they shone.
‘Outstanding work all round from exec chef Johnny Parke and head chef Daryl Forster’
Take the roast potatoes for example, my husband took one bite, sat back and pronounced that they tasted exactly like hisgrandparents roasties, praise indeed, before getting well and truly stuck in. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, they actually tasted of something, The Back Lane suppliers again worth their weight in gold.
It was the same with the carrots; bursting with flavour, and the leeks were topped with a thyme crumb that sang. As for the celeriac puree it was smooth, creamy and distinct without being overpowering. The Yorkshire was huge, and satisfyingly chewy, and the gravy superb and impossible to resist.
No cauliflower cheese which for a purist was an odd omission, but it didn’t detract from the meal which we washed down with a stunning glass of Merlot.
‘the Bakewell tart with salted caramel ice cream literally took my breath away’
As for pud it had to be the Bakewell tart with salted caramel ice cream (£8), which literally took my breath away. Freshly baked, warm, soft, almost honeyed it was so light, the flavour of the raspberry jam and almond frangipane complementing the buttery pastry perfectly.
The dark chocolate mousse with blackberry granita, pecan streusel (which is like a nutty crumble topping) and honeycomb (£8), was another firm contender, so unexpected in appearance, engulfed in a chocolate casing, the chocolate not too dark to be bitter, a myriad of texture with the soft mousse inside, the bite of blackberry, the crunch of granita and nut.
Any criticisms? The Bloody Mary was rather underwhelming, but that’s literally it. Definitely one of the best roasts in Oxfordshire, it was a really memorable afternoon and one I’m sure we will repeat again soon. Outstanding work all round from exec chef Johnny Parke and head chef Darryl Vorster.
Sunday Roasts run from 12 nooon-4pm. The Back Lane Tavern is at 11 Park Lane, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1UD. Go to https://backlanetavern.co.uk
