The Crown and Anchor, Wiltshire

Last night we had the pleasure of being invited to taste the menu at the shiny, new pub in Ham, now called The Crown and Anchor. We actually used to live in the cottage next to this pub, and so have a strong connection with the place. It was previously an Indian, called Indigo Palace. The food was was good, standard Indian food. We were very fond of the owners and ate there often, mainly out of convenience.

This new incarnation was quite the opposite. As we know the owners and the standard to which they have been doing it up over the years, our expectations were high. And yet, the night still exceeded expectations by a mile.

First of all, it is completely necessary to comment on the utterly charming and incredibly tasteful interior of the pub. The space is naturally quite dark and small, however it is lit by vibrant palettes of yellow and blue dotted around. The art compliments the furniture beautifully and the lighting is perfect: moody but not too dark that you can’t see your company and your food with a soft hue of glowing candlelight. The entryway is cosy and homely, with a English country-chic sofa and a Turkish rug, a fire and a small, un-intimidating oak bar. The bathrooms were my favourite part. The wallpaper instantly lifts the mood even more, with quirky and bright colours and illustrations. The bright blue tiles, with a starry print are also reminiscent of a 70s Bowie glitz.

The whole team were also wonderful in every way. The bartender was smily and incredibly accommodating, the manager was direct and personal and the front of house staff were also very lovely and engaging. The service was quick, and avoided being over-intrusive. I also particularly enjoyed the sneak-peak into the theatre, where you could see the chefs in action and perceive the buzz of the kitchen.

And now we come to the main event: the food itself. Upon being seated, we were instantly presented with a delectable-looking board of appetisers. Although this initially came with soda bread and burnt butter (which certainly sounds delicious), we had just told our waitress about our dairy-allergies, and so the board was adapted in seconds. However, the appetisers were more than enough: black pudding scotch eggs and the most unique and moreish jerusalem artichoke hummus with a nutty topping and rye crisp. Now, I do cook with jerusalem artichokes from time to time and find them rather frustrating as it is hard to really enhance the rich, nutty taste of the roots. However, this did just that. It was like nothing else I had ever tasted and I had to use every restraint in my body to stop myself from devouring the whole pot in an attempt to salvage appetite from the forthcoming flow of courses. But this really was the star of the show for me.

For my starter I ordered crab, wrapped in sliced avocado, with dots and drizzles of mustard and lemon curd and grapefruit. The presentation really was stunning. The starter was perfectly light and fresh, using well-known flavours but with a slight zesty twist. If anything, I think it could do with a squeeze more of fresh lemon, which would also bring out the lemon in the curd more. My mother ordered the foie gras, which was served traditionally with brioche. However, it was rich in butter and so I wasn’t able to sample it.

For mains, I was served the monkfish, which consisted of two small round fillets, served on a generous bed of smoked aubergine puree, a nest of spiralized carrot and courgette, circled by confit tomatoes and a splash of jus. I had had a very testing time choosing my main course, being absolutely torn between the cauliflower steak and tahini (my favourite combination) and this. However, given that I order fish and meat on occasions, I decided to make it one. The monkfish was thankfully divine. It was perfectly cooked, so that it was moist and almost resembled the texture of lobster. The smoked aubergine was deliciously smokey, which contrasted with the light and crunchy raw vegetables and the tangy tomatoes. The jus also added an extra depth of flavour and richness. It did need extra seasoning, but I always feel that the seasoning should be down to the customer anyway as everyone is very attuned to different palettes. My mother commented that the aubergines were too smokey. I had to disagree with her on this one. If you are expecting a version of Baba Ghanoush, then the taste of this puree might be unexpected. However, technically, smoked aubergine is very different to Baba Ghanoush, as it doesn’t have the strong flavours of lemon and tahini, which produce an entirely different result. I thought the aubergine was delicious in this case, especially when complimented with the tomatoes. My mother’s beef cheek was also wonderfully melty and not too indulgent in size. She claimed to be too full at the end but this was likely due to the hearty portion of chips that came as a side. The chips were unsurprisingly delicious too. Classic, but not too thick. Crunchy, crispy, golden. Yum. The only thing that was perhaps not as inspiring was the kale. But it is hard to jazz up this humble greenery, and it did of course add much nutrition to the meal.

So, in short, The Crown and Anchor is undoubtedly a contender for the best pub in Wiltshire. Cosy pub classics that are executed and delivered in the most elegant way and each with an unpredictable, artisan twist, using local and seasonal produce. We were also informed that the chef changes the menu each week, which made me very excited as I feel that the progression of country pubs are usually stagnated by their lack of changeability, flexibility and variety. I have high hopes for the future success of this place, and I promise I am not biased!

Black Pudding Scotch Egg, House Salad Cream (£4) and Artichoke Hummus, Ale and Rye Crackers (£4)/Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Parfait, Pickled Cabbage, Walnuts, Brioche: £8/Crab, Avocado Salad, Pink Graprefuit, Brown Crap Dressing: £10/Cumin Spiced Monkfish, Smoked Aubergine Purée, Courgette, Carrot, Confit Tomatoes: £16.50/Gremolata Crusted Braised Beef Cheek with Lardons and Baby Onions: £17/Hand Cut Chips and Sautéed Kale (£3.50 each)

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