Dinner At The White Hart Inn, Moorwood Moor
Published On Saturday 9 Aug 2014 by Sticky Beak
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Sometimes even the best laid plans go awry dear reader. The Boy Wonder and I were booked in for a meal at another establishment who rang to cancel our reservation due to unforeseen circumstances their end, which left us wondering what to do at such short notice. We flapped our feathers for a bit and threw a few suggestions round the nest before deciding to pay The White Hart a visit.
So off we flew, and it wasn’t too long before we were settling ourselves at a table in the light airy surroundings of the pub. It has an open plan floor arrangement with wood beams and exposed stone and brick in abundance, neutral walls and wooden flooring. The staff at the bar were very friendly when we walked in and soon our drinks were being placed before us at the table. For a pub the range of food on offer is very impressive. A couple of options were off that night, but alternatives were offered before we looked at the menu itself to avoid any disappointment when we actually did order.
To start we opted for a sharing item which was the Baked Camembert with Red Onion Marmalade and Bread. When our server Lisa brought it out she said that if we wanted more bread to just ask, which I thought was nice to offer rather than leave customers wondering if it would be ok to have more. I always think there’s nothing nicer than having the oozy centre of a baked Camembert or Brie scooped up on fresh bread; to me it’s one of life’s simple pleasures.
So having polished off our starter we proceeded onto our mains; I had chosen Pan Fried Salmon with Basil and Parmesan Mash accompanied by Provencal Vegetables with Balsamic and Pesto. The Salmon was beautifully cooked through and superbly moist, it obviously hadn’t been left on the pass waiting to be served to me. The mash was an incredible fusion of flavours with the Parmesan and Basil both being discernible without overpowering the potato. The Man Bird had decided he was in the mood for a “Slab of Steak“ as he put it. He had an 8oz Rump Steak, (cooked Medium) with Onion Rings and Chips and he also ordered the Peppercorn and Brandy Sauce to go with it. The Chips reminded us of the Chips our mums used to do at home (back in the day when they were done in a deep pan full of oil on the cooker top), being really chunky and tasty with a lovely colour to them. The Onion rings were obviously done in-house as well, as they were very generous in size and extremely yummy too. Other than the delight at finding somewhere that actually knows how to cook a steak medium, the chirrups of joy at the sauce were the only sounds to come from our table as we heartily tucked in to our food. The Sauce had a fab kick to it from the peppercorn and the warmth from the brandy complimented it excellently.
Now, you know how much our little flock likes its food reader, so it will come as no surprise to hear that we were already discussing what to have for dessert as our mains were being cleared away. Anthony came to take our order and my choice was The Dark Chocolate Fondant with Brandy Snap Basket and Milk Chocolate Ice Cream and Hubster plumped for the Vanilla and Raspberry Creme Brulee with Homemade Shortbread Biscuits.
The Desserts were beautifully presented on slate platters and decorated with swirls of coulis and dustings of icing sugar. My Fondant was perfectly oozy in the middle and was like velvet on my tongue, and the Brandy Snap Basket was deliciously crunchy. I really liked the Milk Chocolate Ice Cream too; it was lovely and rich and tasted just like Cadbury Dairy Milk to me, so I was more than happy with my choice of dessert. Boy Wonders eyes were nearly goggling out of their sockets at the sight of his Creme Brulee when it was placed in front of him. It’s been a while since we’ve had what I would consider to be a “proper” Creme Brulee, but this little smasher had a nice thick Sugar Crust on the top that required a sharp rap with the spoon to crack it and reveal the Silky Creme underneath. And it was only when the Crust was broken that the layer of Raspberry was unveiled. There was just enough Raspberry to hint at the flavour without detracting from the beautifully pillowy Vanilla Creme, and the Shortbread biscuits provided the perfect crunchy counterpart for this delight.
Throughout the evening all the staff were very friendly and helpful, and they were all smartly turned out too. Our main servers, as I have mentioned, were Lisa and Anthony and you couldn’t come across 2 more lovely people if you travelled the length and breadth of the country. They honestly couldn’t do enough for us, and they extended this level of attention to every single patron in the place. It was all done with smiles and plenty of banter, and we really did feel valued during our time there.
In a way we were glad that our initial reservation got cancelled, otherwise we might not have visited The White Hart for another couple of months. If you haven’t been here before, I can whole-heartedly recommend the food and service to you, and urge you to pay a visit soon. “Hot Wings“ definitely earned for “ Team White Hart “ - well done guys :)
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