There’s centuries of history in this village pub. Apparently it was originally a cottage built in about 1650 from stones taken from a Norman castle which was demolished during the Civil War. It opened as a pub in about 1750.But, as with many village pubs, the emphasis is now on diners, rather than drinkers.
More places should aspire to the “local and seasonal” take on the food that the Kilpeck offers. As in Wye Valley asparagus, partnered with a “houmous” made from white beans and wild garlic. A hazelnut pesto may not be seasonal or local but it really worked, drizzled across the top of the asparagus. The other starter was their interpretation of the modern classic – scallops, just seared, with cauliflower, dabs of apple puree and black pudding. A bit oddly, the black pud was served cold, whilst everything else was hot.
A spring vegetable risotto was a very generous affair (and couldn’t be finished). Nicely cooked “al dente” rice with wild garlic leaves, pea shoots, asparagus and spring onions. Really delicious. Pork fillet was cooked to “pink” and came stuffed with a mix of nettles and sage. There’s a perfectly cooked fondant potato and lightly cooked summer kale provided some texture contrast. A well made cider sauce reminded you this is cider country.
So, that’s four plates of very enjoyable food to round off a week’s stay in the area.
