J'AIME MARCH 2020

of smoked salmon, and a couple of hunks of soft,
crusty bread to ensure everything got mopped up.
My husband opted for the beetroot and goats’ cheese
arancini with red pepper coulis and basil pesto, £6.
It was a very pretty dish, however I can’t possibly
comment on the taste since I didn’t get a look in -
I’m assured that means it was a success.
For the main event I was tempted by the sea bass
special, served with lemon and caper butter, crushed
potato, kale, spinach and parsley, £14.50, and the
signature rotisserie style chicken with homemade
coleslaw, from £6 - until I spied a parade of burgers
making their way to a neighbouring table. And so
it was The Red Lion beef burger, £13.50, with the
bacon and stilton topper - there are also cheddar and
chorizo, or spiced halloumi options.
The burger was a true behemoth; a
gloriously meaty patty adorned with
thickly sliced bacon, a generous helping
of stilton and the obligatory salad, all
sandwiched between a soft brioche
bun and topped with a wedge of pickle
for good measure. The meat itself was
wonderfully flavoursome and deliciously
juicy which made it difficult for the
brioche to contain all the component
parts but no bother, not when it tasted
as good as it did. Not an elegant dish
by any stretch of the imagination, but
certainly a most satisfying one.
The accompanying chips were
generously portioned and beautifully
crisp with a nicely fluffy interior, while
a side order of corn on the cob, £3,
was a thinly veiled attempt to offset the
calorific damage by adding in one of
my five-a-day - and a rather futile one,
slathered in garlic butter as it was.
My husband’s 8oz fillet steak, £24,
was another thing of beauty;
perfectly cooked to the requested
rare, it was richly flavoured with
a wonderful hint of chargrill,
and so tender that the knife slid
through it like butter - the real
hallmark of a good steak. As
someone who’s eaten his fair
share of steak, both good and
bad, he’s not an easy man to
impress in such matters - but
impressed he was.
The accompanying stilton sauce,
£2, was perfect for dipping the
hand-cut chips, and the rest
of the rest of the trimmings
went down a treat too; tomato,
mushroom and a sizable pile of
enormous onion rings coated in a beautifully light
and crispy batter.
The Red Lion’s portions are certainly on the
generous side, so no one would blame you if you
didn’t have room for dessert; although that would
mean missing out on classics like jam roly poly,
chocolate fudge cake and banana split. While my
husband stuck to coffee, I found the mixed berry
pavlova with raspberry sorbet, £6, was the perfect
way to end the meal; light, refreshing and the perfect
balance of sweet and tart.
With a crowd-pleasing menu offering quality food,
plus a seriously warm welcome and exemplary
service, The Red Lion is everything a good village
pub should be.
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