Fair to say that The Village Inn in Marehay knows what it’s doing; 26 years in and still going strong – no mean feat in the modern hospitality climate, I think you’ll agree? Mummy Bird’s mind and body had taken another turn around the sun, so The Man and I thought it’d be nice to go out for a meal with her. We have visited The Village Inn several times and never had a bad experience there, and Mummy really loves its friendly, relaxed feel, so it seemed a logical choice.
There is ample parking just across the road from the venue, adjacent to the ‘sun trap’ beer garden, so we parked there and walked across. As soon as we’d stepped inside and gone to the bar, we were given a friendly, warm greeting and our table reservation ticked off. Phil (The Village Inn’s owner) had given us a table in prime position next to the Pizza Oven, from where you can also indulge in some people watching - my favourite hobby, as you know!
Whilst Mummy and I went over to the table, His Nibs got the drinks in at the bar: large Pinot Grigio for Mummy, large Malbec for me, and a pint for himself. With refreshment sorted, it was time to peruse the menu (regular and specials) in more detail. Our original plan had been to go for Pizzas, but there were some seriously tempting dishes that nearly de-railed us: the Chinese Chicken ‘Street Food Tray’, the whopping 8oz McVillage Beef Burger, Tacos in various guises, and the Homemade Pies. In the end, we did stick to our planned Pizza foray, but it hadn’t been a straight-forward decision by any means; we have all said that we need a re-visit in the autumn.
As our starter, we ordered the Garlic Pizza Bread with Mozzarella and Caramelised Onion (£7.95) and if you’ve never had this, trust me, it’ll knock your socks off – it’s THAT tasty. The base is the pizza dough used for all the Pizza offerings, stretched thin so that it cooks quickly and has those delightful air pockets at the edge. Folks often overlook the flavour of the dough, but it actually does add to the overall tastiness of the morsel; Phil serves a beautifully moreish dough that has a lovely chew time in the mouth.
Stupidly, I forgot to get the name of the young lad who was Pizzaiolo, but he was all over it: A-game, brought! Before the Pizzas are served, they are cut into slices for you, and the first thing we all commented on was that the Mozzarella was producing nice ‘strings’ as slices were lifted off the plate. Partnering the mild creaminess of the cheese was a sticky, sweet Caramelised Onion ‘jam’ that had us smiling in happiness at its taste and texture.
For our ‘main’ pizzas, we all went for different varieties: I had my favourite, Pear and Blue Cheese (£14.25), The Man had Texas (£14.25), and Mummy went for the Italiano from the specials menu (£13.95). Part of our enjoyment was watching them being made; the Pizzaiolo assembled them, cooked them and cut them, then Phil was passed them to garnish and finish before serving them to us. Both The Man and Mummy had sprigs of fresh Basil on their pizzas, and I had lots of peppery Rocket, so they all looked pretty on the plate, too. Our first bites yielded the same tantalising deliciousness that we’d experienced with the Garlic Bread starter, accentuated by the respective toppings on them.
The Man Bird had gone for the Texan as the zingy Chipotle BBQ Chicken had got his mouth watering at its mention! True to its name, the Chipotle imparted a superb pop of spiciness, aided and abetted by a luscious BBQ and Tomato base. The soft texture of the Chicken was contrasted by crispy Bacon, and crunchy slices of Peppers and Onion. Flavoursome? Definitely, and possibly His Nibs’ new favourite pizza.
Mummy is a classy lady, so her choice of Italiano was the natural path to follow – not sure she was expecting the birthday candle at the centre, though! Perched on top of the intensely tasty Tomato base were plentiful slices of salty Parma Ham that partnered the sweet Cherry Tomato halves perfectly. Creamy Buffalo Mozzarella and zingy Pesto dots had the palate cheering in ecstasy like fans at a gastro concert, and Mummy was really smacking her chops! Mindful of wanting dessert, a couple of slices of the Italiano got boxed up to bring home: double bubble, as we say.
I enjoy Stilton with fruit at home regularly, and have paired the cheese (or should that be ‘peared’ it?!) with ripe Pear before, for a classic combination. The first time I had had this combination on pizza was at The Village Inn at Marehay, and its because it had stuck so positively in my memory that I ordered it again on this occasion. Stilton melts easily, so it is great for on pizzas, and its bold, confident nature suits the mild, sweet pear and chewy dough brilliantly. Where the fruit is sweet, the Stilton is tangily pungent with a nutty earthiness, and the two dance delightfully over the tongue. Peppery Rocket lifts the flavour profile seamlessly and swirls of Balsamic add a gorgeous depth and richness, tying the elements smoothly together.
For dessert, Mummy had the warm Fudge Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream, I had the Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake, and His Nibs had the Chocolate Mint Ice cream Cake (all £6.50). As with the pizzas, the portion size of the sweets are very generous, as well as being nicely presented. The birthday girl was tucking in to her warm treat eagerly, the evidence of it being around her mouth! In our family, we always say that you haven’t really enjoyed a gooey dessert fully unless you’re wearing the mark of it – clearly, Mummy was thrilled with her choice.
Ice Cream Cakes are very common over in the USA, and are becoming more and more known here in Blighty; they are a combination of baked cake or biscuit bases topped with frozen Ice Cream layer(s) and decorated with a variety of sauces and garnishes. My choice had gone one step further for its bottom-most layer, utilising the coffee-soaked Lady’s Fingers; I got a discernible coffee note in my mouth that was paired with cream and chocolate notes in the dessert. His Nibs was treat to the superb fusion of chocolate and mint in his choice, the balance between the two ingredients perfect.
Throughout our evening, the team had been wonderful to us all; nothing had been too much trouble, and they engaged in conversation at every opportunity. One of the best things about The Village Inn at Marehay is the relaxed, hospitable ambience; it really is like your typical British village pub was decades ago: family friendly, welcoming to all, and a great menu where all the food is cooked fresh-to-order. Phil came over to have a natter about life in general and to wish Mummy ‘Happy Birthday’, adding that he’d covered the cost of her meal; how kind was that? Bless you, Phil.
Hot Wings happily awarded to this terrific village gastro pub!! The Village Inn at Marehay is closed Monday and Tuesday, opens Weds-Sat 5pm-11pm, and Sunday Noon-11pm (obviously food service times are a little different!). To book a table call 01773 743970, or visit www.villageinnmarehay.co.uk and fill out the form (essential for groups of 8+).
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