This post is written in collaboration with Mill Street Pub & Kitchen, Oakham. Food is definitely the thing that Chris and I have most in common. We both work on Kitchen Sanctuary full time, we cook and photograph pretty much every day, and yet we still find time to talk about food during the gaps! We love to eat out, not only as a way to spend quality time together and to enjoy being cooked for, but also as a source of inspiration. If I come away from a restaurant wanting to cook something from the menu, it’s been a successful meal. And that’s exactly the case with Mill Street Pub & Kitchen. Chris and I were invited for a 3-course meal and overnight stay to review their stylishly renovated restaurant and accommodation. General Manager Jan greeted us upon arrival and gave us a tour of the pub, which consists of lots of gorgeously designed rooms - from the cosy snug: to the light and airy conservatory:
and underground basement cavern:
We stayed in one of the seven boutique rooms, complete with four-poster bed, sofa and spacious bathroom (the tea-tray with the little glass jar of cookies was always going to go down well 🙂 ).
The menu was well thought out, with some brilliant twists on traditional dishes. I had the Ploughman’s Scotch egg to start - served on a bed of apple & onion chutney with crunchy strips of apple. I loved how the egg was perfectly cooked in the middle, and promised myself I’d go home and experiment until I got that egg technique right!
Chris started with the beetroot & goat’s cheese roulade - which was sweet, creamy and tangy.
For the main course, I had beautifully tender rainbow trout with with smoky-charred fennel and crunchy green beans.
Chris had the pork tenderloin with fondant potato and the most amazing slow-cooked cider jus (Jan told us the jus takes 4 days to make!).
Our waitress, Polly, was really attentive, and gave some great recommendations on wine pairings for each course. I finished off with the tiramisu cheesecake with salted hazelnut brittle. I thought I was too full to eat it, but I somehow managed every single bite…. Chris had the baked apple terrine with oat crumble and honeycomb PLUS a scoopful of their delicious homemade milk chocolate & caramel ripple ice cream.
We were both really impressed with the flavours, attention to detail and the service. Since our stay at Mill street I’ve been experimenting with the runny-in-the-middle Chorizo Scotch eggs, and I’ve cracked it (pun intended). If you get the opportunity, go and try Chef Nathan’s Ploughman’s version (thoroughly recommended). I’ve created a spicier chorizo version with smoked paprika wedges for dipping. If you want to turn it into a full meal, you could also serve with with salad and some little chunks of manchego cheese as I did.
The Chorizo Scotch Eggs Recipe:
