Following last year’s major refit of its dining room, The George has become one of our favourite local eating destinations. Under the guidance of new landlady Emily Hammond, this family-run inn has moved decisively into “gastropub” territory, as befits the sparse elegance of the almost unrecognisable new dining area. Although still only in his mid-twenties, head chef Wade Raithby has proved himself more than capable of delivering consistent excellence – a minor miracle, given the cramped kitchen space available.
Last Saturday night, four of us oohed and aahed our way through the full three course menu. For starters, two of us went for the duck and ham hock terrine, while the other two splurged on a wonderfully inventive combination of seared king scallops and tender morsels of new season lamb. If that sounds like an unlikely marriage of flavours, then the mintiness of the accompanying pea mash and the sweetness of the surrounding carrot beurre blanc formed the bridge between the two. (Pretentious, but true!)
While my three companions swooned over the oven roasted fish fillet with Devon crab risotto, poached egg and hollandaise sauce , I had a Major Gastronomic Moment of my own: roast loin of venison, sitting on a perfect circle of rich and unctuous carrot mash that had been wrapped in ribbons of rhubarb, accompanied by baby fondant potatoes and rich venison sauce. (Venison and rhubarb? Trust me, it worked!)
At this stage, none of us really needed pudding – but strictly in the name of research, I persuaded everyone to give it their best shot. Dave went for the mature Cheddar, served with biscuits and a glass of Viognier ; Sue and Kevin shared a slice of “fantastic” lemon tart with vanilla ice cream, and I regressed to the age of six with a colourful, gloopy layering of apple mousse and orange jelly, served with a sticky marshmallow topping in a tall latte glass.
Together with a bottle of Brouilly and our pre-dinner drinks (three pints of Marstons Bitter and a glass of Saint-Veran), our bill came to £118. At just under thirty quid a head for such top-notch (and beautifully presented) cuisine, we reckoned it was worth every penny.
Tables at The George can be booked by calling (01335) 310205. The pub’s offical website is here. Starters from £4 to £8, main courses from £9 to £14, desserts from £4 to £5.
PARWICH.ORG 
couldn’t resist trying to comment from the other side of the world (literally and metaphorically). Having just finished off a dubious helping of hairy crabs, the idea of a nice pint of Marsdens and some honest (and identifiable) fare sounds quite dreamy!
of course that’s Marston’s (as in the pint) rather than Marsden’s as in of the blues guitarist(!).
Sorry.
I don’t think I like the idea of such glowing recommendations to one of our favourite eating places – it will make it even harder to get in. Don’t believe a word of Mike A’s report – the food is awful and the atmosphere terrible – so you have been warned – do not go there!
I do agree that the refitted dining room is a big improvement, but in the interests of balance I would have to comment that my experience of the food and value for money have been quite different.
Things may have changed, but when I ate there a few months ago (and I don’t know how long the current chef has been there) the food was imaginative (too imaginative for my taste) but the portions left me unsatisfied, verging on “nouvelle cuisine” which I never had much time for even when it was popular.
The cost per head worked out somewhat more than that experienced by the original poster, and we felt the cost of the wine was definitely on the steep side. All in all we felt we were paying London prices for a rather disappointing experience and we haven’t been back since.
Having just got back from India, the thought of the wonderful food at the George is really very appealing, at least no risk of any more tummy upsets but probably a bit more on the pricey side. On all of the occasions we have eaten at the George it has been very good and Emily is always hospitable and welcoming, though I have the same concerns as Patti…. let’s keep quiet about it so that we can still get a table!
Took my mother to the George for a birthday lunch today. Fortunately the fish and chips and the ice-cream my mother had were excellent, but I was disappointed with my risotto. Also my rhubarb and mascarpone mouse would have been good if it was not served so cold that there was no flavour.
I loved the dining room, but my mother thought they had not finished it. Also all the hard surfaces are not ideal if you are a bit deaf.
Having just returned from another excellent supper at The George, I felt it necessary to respond to William’s comment. I was disappointed only because I didn’t have room for pudding (the Lemon Tart was excellent last week and I wanted it again). Our guest (who lives in Cambridge) also commented that the prices were, by comparison, extremely reasonable – and she would also have plumped for the Lemon Tart had she had room.
Kevin
As always a delight to feed you and your guests.
Best
Emily
We had Sunday there last week. It was delicious the roast beef perfectly cooked. We took Issy who is 7 months and two other children, they were very accomodating. The only downside is that is was so busy but this did not affect the service. If you want to go best to book in advance.