You may have read our exclusive piece on The Duck On The Pond‘s Crowdfunding campaign to stay open ‘The Duck On The Pond’s Hendrik and Julie on keeping afloat and being proactive, the South Newington pub reeling under the pressure of increased hospitality costs and taxes.
And while we love nothing better than luxuriating over their taster menu and can’t recommend it enough REVIEW: ‘A culinary adventure of heroic proportions’, we realised that it can be misconstrued, that our readers might not realise that there many other more wallet friendly ways to dine there in style and still enjoy chef patron Hendrik Dutson-Steinfeld‘s culinary dexterity.
Let’s not forget that The Duck On The Pond is in the Michelin Guide and a stunning, welcoming family-run historic pub/restaurant, where you’ll find the fires blazing, the interior light, airy, historic and a firm farm to fork ethos.
And so we popped in for their fixed price lunch/dinner menu, two courses for £28, three courses for £32, and were delighted to see so many of Hendrik’s signature dishes included.
Such as our favourite beer & cheddar soup with toast for example, which used to be served as an amuse bouche, but here able to be appreciated in full as a starter, because rather than a tiny cup, we were treated to a whole bowl of the delicate, deeply flavoured, creamy soup topped with scattered chives.
The Cotswold chicken liver pate with tomato chutney and sourdough was another classic, the pate mild and creamy in flavour, rather than earthy.
We might (#did) have sampled the third option, just for research’s sake – the Waldorf Salad, traditionally a crunchy, cumbrous concoction of Oxford Blue cheese, pears, pickled celery & walnut dressing (V), but here much more refined, modest and subtle, finely diced, dressed and interspersed with frisbee lettuce.
Onwards, towards the beer battered fish & chips with mushy peas & tartar sauce, which we’d been admiring in the dining room, and did not disappoint, and the crispy Cotswold chicken leg with gem lettuce, peas, spring onion and new potatoes, spring on the plate and beautiful to behold.
Dessert was always a given – the vanilla creme brûlée an irresistible option – a lavish helping with just the right burnt top and creamy depths, and the apple crumble with vanilla custard which arrived in a neat little pot, the frothy, light custard in a small jug.
We only eschewed Henrik’s renowned hay custard, forge farm honey, caramelised milk crumble, honey & buttermilk ice-cream because we had it last time we visited, but otherwise it’s a must!
And while it was a delicious, if curtailed lunch, without the full headlights of Hendrik’s enormous capabilities, for £32 it was an absolute feast, and way above your normal pub grub.
But what we admired most is that not only does the fixed price menu enable more people to sample The Duck On The Pond‘s incredible offering, but that rather than rest on its laurels, Julie and Hendrik are working hard to encourage customers new and old to venture in and try something a bit different.
So don’t take out word for it, try it for yourself.
The Duck On The Pond in South Newington is at https://www.theduckonthepond.co.uk/#menus
