The Trusty Servant

Overlooking the old stocks & grazing ponies on the village green, the Trusty Servant makes the most of its picture-perfect New Forest setting, although the solid Victorian frontage hasn’t quite the same love-at-first-sight appeal. Remodelling has opened up the interior, with piles of logs, rustic furniture & candlelight creating a gentrified country pub look. The cooking is straightforward, comfort-zone fare with a reliance on seasonal local produce. Butcher’s sausages & mash with shallot gravy & braised red cabbage or beer-battered fish & chips are typical offerings, alongside four -week matured rump steak served with hand-cut chips & mushrooms three ways. Puds are in the fruit crumble/chocolate nemesis mould. A sofa in front of the fire is a winter draw, while the big garden is worth noting when the weather is fine.