News that The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis was listed in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Pubs 2025 READ ABOUT IT HERE won’t come as a big surprise to anyone who’s been there in the last six months since new head chef John Harrison took over the helm.
And our lunch there proved them right.
He’s a lovely chap John. Hailing from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Inn The Park in Winchester and numerous London restaurants where he worked with Richard Corrigan and Paul Heathcote, he now lives in Newbury.
Fancying a change, and a job that fitted in with his family life, he underwent a rigorous vetting process when applying to The Greyhound, but won through against numerous other great chefs, and owner Catrina Galbraith is delighted.
Unashamedly in love with ‘old-school cookery’, John says he likes to let the ingredients speak for themselves and has been given free rein with the menu, apart from the revered smoked haddock soufflé which has to stay (there would a be a revolt otherwise) “but I’ve changed the cheese in it,” he grins.
So what does John think? “From the outside it looks like a nice country pub but the focus here is definitely on the food, so we’ve been tweaking the menu and building the team. Out with the old in with the new,” he grins.
And with the gastropub’s 10 year celebrations well underway, John is loving being back in the kitchen and getting the creative juices flowing: “I want to showcase what I’ve got. For me it’s good honest cooking, and luckily that’s the style The Greyhound was looking for,” he says.
Flexing his culinary muscles with his new ‘tasting menu’ gourmet dinners, there were still multiple dining options when we popped in for lunch, including the ‘Lunch For Less’ menu (two courses £27 and three for £32).
But we had already been distracted by the a la carte and all its enticing goodies, particularly the braised leek & Lyburn croquettes with truffle mayonnaise (£6.50) from the ‘nibbles’ section, which we immediately ordered before sitting back and surveying the room.
Such a homely, welcoming vibe headed up by GM James Cameron, with a real, countryside aesthetic, so that when entering from the cold November day outside, the fire’s were blazing, locals drinking at the bar and diners sat, chatting and enjoying their food. But The Greyhound‘s culinary offering is still unexpected, which is its superpower.
We ordered – the crispy duck egg celeriac veloute, hazelnut and sage crumb (£10.50), the twice-baked Wookey Hole Cheddar soufflé, smoked haddock chowder (£11) because it’s kind of obligatory, then the roasted monkfish with curried cauliflower, pak choi, dukkah and saffron cream (£28), and the pressed pork belly with cider-braised sweet onion, burnt apple ketchup and potato fondant (£27).
But first the croquettes, which certainly set the scene – piping hot, delicious, crunchy and crispy on the outside, and then soft and unctuous with cheese and leek within, dipped in the truffle mayonnaise, topped with parmesan and tiny, chopped chives. We can still remember them.
The spongey soufflé needs little introduction, framed by the chowder dotted with tiny cubed, potatoes, and then the crispy duck egg lived up to expectations, the crunch of the nut and strength of sage set against the delicate veloute and the bounce of egg, the yolk dribbling out so satisfactorily when sliced through.
A pause with a wonderful glass of wine while we awaited our mains, our appetites awakened.
The roasted monkfish was an exciting, colourful and innovative dish, the fish really juicy, the cauliflower pert, the dukkah adding crunch and texture, the saffron cream rich with that unmistakeable metallic tang.
As for the pressed pork belly, it was resplendent on the plate, the crackling wand setting off the sweet, dense onion and dark, rich ketchup, the pork both firm sweet and moist, packed full of flavour, the potato rotund, its innards soaking up the cidery gravy. Elegant, classy but yes, ‘honest cooking’ executed extremely well.
After such a dazzling start, of course we had to follow it up with dessert. The pumpkin and ginger sponge with oat milk caramel, and pecan praline (£10) sounded both ingenious and curious, and it was. Being a vegan dish might put some people off but it was rich and vibrant with a punch of spice, earthy and sweet with pumpkin, and then the bite of nut.
More of a classic, the plum and frangipane tart with crème anglaise, clotted cream and toasted almonds (£10) was as dense, fruity and crumbly as we’d hoped, sweetened with the custard and enhanced by the thinly sliced almonds. A slice was more than enough and a fitting conclusion to a first class lunch.
With John ensuring that the ongoing culinary reputation of The Greyhound remains intact, we are sure many of you will soon be popping in to try out his classic cooking for yourselves.
Or try his festive dining menu running from December 1-24 (with £5 off per person at lunchtimes). You’re welcome.
The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis is at https://www.thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk
