The Wellington * *
Wellington, near Hereford, HR4 8AT. Telephone: 01432 830367.
It must have been a sweet moment for the Wellington when it scooped the Pub Roast of the Year competition this summer, beating some serious national competition.
Following on from being named by Taste of Herefordshire’s best pub two years in succession, life is hopefully feeling pretty good for its owners, Ross and Philippa Williams, who are still novices at the gastropub game. They left jobs as PR directors in London just four years ago to start afresh in the little village of Wellington just outside Hereford. It must have been one scary learning curve but their gamble would appear to be paying off, judging by the praise being heaped upon Ross’s efforts in the kitchen.
The pub’s prize-winning roasts are on offer Sunday lunchtime (£15 for three courses) so naturally, J and I went along on a Saturday. A bit barmy, I know, but it was the only time we could get there.
There are some glorious villages in Herefordshire but sadly, Wellington isn’t among them. It’s pleasant enough though and the drive out to these ‘ere parts is always a pleasure.
From the outside, the pub is a fairly standard affair but what it may lack in quaint appeal, it seems to be making up for with the attraction of its food. There were plenty of diners around in the comfortable, rustic yet smart dining room – and plenty of drinkers in the bar too.
This is definitely more pub – and still a proper local as well - than restaurant and there are some excellent beers on offer. One, Butty Bach, pops up on the menu as an ingredient in the batter for the cod in the Wellington’s fish and chips (£11).
There’s great pride here in local produce too. There’s cheese from Charlie Westhead’s superb Neal’s Yard Creamery while Hereford’s Lay and Robson supplies the smoked salmon served with pickled cucumber and chive sour cream as a starter.
The Dairy House and September Organic (both based in the county) provide the clotted cream and ice creams in the seriously-tempting pudding list.
And, of course, we are also in a great area for quality meat. On Sunday, it will probably be roast topside of Hereford Cross beef but today, it’s a Herefordshire sirloin steak (£11.50, served with chips and red onion marmalade).
J decided he’d sacrifice a starter so he could justify having pudding, which left me on my own as I ordered red onion marmalade and Ragstone cheese tart (£4.35).
Onion and goat’s cheese tarts may be a bit of a menu cliché but really, who cares when you get a delicious little combo like this, its golden crispy pastry piled high with good, sweet red onion and melting, wonderful cheese. I allowed J a taste only to stack up brownie points so I could raid his pudding later.
He bore up well waiting for his baked smoked haddock with leek mash and watercress sauce (£14) but was a tad disappointed when it arrived. Getting just the tail end of the fish was a little mean, he felt, and it also seemed slightly overcooked.
His other quibble was that the leeks were on the stringy side but nevertheless, these were all good, hearty flavours, well combined.
I had a chargrilled vegetable and mozzarella lasagne (£9) which was very good, packed with tasty veg in a creamy, satisfying sauce. The perfectly-soft sheets of pasta threaded through gave it welcome carb ballast; all in all, lovely comfort food for a grey day.
It was the desserts, though, which had caught our hungry eye. Madeira and summery berry trifle, damson, honey and whisky fool with rosemary biscotti, pear tarte tatin with cinnamon ice cream (all £4.25) – this was a great list, sparking with great ideas.
Somebody here really likes their puddings and it’s gratifying to see so much care and attention (and top ingredients) given to a course which is so often an afterthought - and bought in - elsewhere.
Today’s lucky winner was the fresh raspberry bakewell tart with Dairy House clotted cream. Wonderful, spongey frangipane and jammy fruit teamed with cream meant it was demolished, with my help, in seconds flat.
You would imagine that these rather isolated place must surely struggle for staff but service at the Wellington throughout was attentive, on the ball and charming, with only a slight hiccup when it came to paying (someone on the phone meant a delay in processing the card).
We ended up spending £43.90, which seemed relatively cheap for our meals and drinks (good house wine, great beer). J’s smoked haddock niggles aside, the quality of what’s on offer here is very impressive and most definitely worth a visit.
