The Charming Chequers
Another beautiful Tudor style venue in the glorious countryside.
The Chequers in Heaverham is hidden away down winding country lanes. When pulling into the venue it was very clear that this venue would be a fantastic place to visit in the summer with its large garden. After my experience, I have made a mental note to return during warmer months.
This charming pub is lit up with candles as you walk in which gives off a cosy atmosphere, the perfect place for some casual dining. One thing I will say is, ensure that during the colder months you wear some warm clothes such as a long sleeve top and/or jumper. Given that the venue is old and has high ceilings you may find yourself a bit chilly if you opted for something lighter. The teams covid safety measures were spot on and the venue was extremely clean and labelled with one way signs clearly.
My meal during this evening was all about comfort! To start I had the black pudding and Lincolnshire sausage Scotch egg with piccalilli. The outside of the scotch egg was spot on, held together and cooked properly but still had crumbly breadcrumb. The eggs inside were right in the middle so you got some runny yolk but not so much that it was spilling all over your plate.
My mains was a slow braised belly of pork with dauphinoise potatoes and fresh green vegetables. I felt my stomach glow from the inside, the crackling on top of the pork belly was that perfect combination of chewy and crunchy. My plate looked as though it had been in the dishwasher by the time I had finished!
Despite feeling pretty full I opted for the lemon panacotta with fresh raspberries and ice cream for dessert. After seeing it come out for someone else, I knew I could not leave without trying it. The lemon was strong fresh and was a great way to cleanse my palate! The ice cream added that bit of sweetness to slightly tone down the acidic flavour of the lemon.
We were looked after by Liz and Ellie throughout the evening and they were a delight! Full of playful banter and easy chatter. They also helped me to decide what I should have that evening given that they had tried the dishes themselves. Ellie's wine recommendation also went down a treat!
All in all, I was completely content and ready to hit my bed with a very satisfied belly! The presentation of the dishes was simple yet attractive and each plate tasted as good as it looked.
I look forward to returning to The Chequers in the future. A huge thanks to the Liz, Ellie and the chef for a wonderful evening.
If you would like to visit The Chequers, you can access their website by clicking here.