The Headley

This suburban gastropub comes from Daniel Clifford, chef/proprietor of Midsummer House in Cambridge. Here he’s left behind the frills & fancies of two-Michelin-starred cuisine & gone for a menu of British classics executed with aplomb. To start, nettle & hogweed soup had a lively, spinach-like flavour & a zingy kick, while potted shrimp saw toothsome crustacea encased in lemony butter. Mains of fish pie, calf’s liver with crispy bacon & mash, & a noteworthy Sunday roast of either a thick slab of perfectly pink beef or lamb with spring greens, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pud & glossy gravy, were just as good. But while there are no complaints on the food front, The Headley is low on atmosphere. Though the vast site ticks all the right gastropub boxes – bar areas with large slouchy leather couches, dining rooms boasting flagstone flooring, beamed ceilings & quirky wooden chairs – it all seemed slightly soulless. Staff, meanwhile, were rushed off their feet & food took a long time to arrive. To drink, real ales might include Old Speckled Hen & Adnams on tap, & there’s an extensive global wine list.