SOMETHING very special has happened at The Crown at Arford. After a rollercoaster two years for the hospitality industry, The Crown is back hosting sell-out pub quiz nights and showcasing international food and ingredients including Thai evenings.

As a celebration of approaching normality, chef/proprietor Adriano Elam got together with Liphook wine supplier The General Wine Company to create Discovery Dining at The Crown, a food and wine matching dinner for customers looking at broadening their horizons in a casual non pretentious environment.

That’s why the  grade one listed country pub became a place of dining discovery.

After being welcomed by the super  friendly team, we had a drink at the bar, which is very dog friendly, and then took our place in the delightful dining room.

Sommelier Chloe Palmer took us through what to expect then a master class in taste sensation commenced.

First up was a Sicilian seafood salad that had just a hint of chilli and some amazing extra virgin oil sourced by Adriano himself. The Chateau Musar Jeune white is from Lebanon, home to some of the world’s oldest vines and it cut through the chilli beautifully.

Next came succulent guinea fowl with smoky pancetta served on spinach risotto. The wine that accompanied this was from Croatia, a Kozlovic Istera Teran red which was easily comparable to its Italian neighbours best – someone said it punched above its weight!

The taste fest continued with a deeply-comforting beef cheek softly braised  in red wine for hours with Cannellini bean mash and locally-grown cavolo nero, Tuscan black cabbage. It needed the richness of Mexico’s finest red to complement the warm glow of such a dish. We had this with a Nebbolio, Baja California. Sublime

How do you complete a meal like this? Try crème brûlee with spring rhubarb, ginger biscuits and a smidgen of award-winning stilton. The Samos Vin Doux Muscat, from Greece, a sweet but oh so subtle dessert wine, was just the job.

An alternative vegan matching was offered and included new season asparagus, vegan parmesan, cannellini and baked celeriac finished with a dessert featuring  a mango sorbet.

The Crown plans more Discovery Dining in the near future but meanwhile has an ever-changing menu reflecting the seasons and sourcing local produce.

Adriano has a very simple food philosophy: “If it’s a burger you want, have the best available – and that also goes for traditional Sunday roast and a midweek meal.”

The chef is also very keen on mentoring front of house and kitchen professionals and is always looking for local talent with a passion for hospitality.

  • The Herald has teamed up with our friends at The Crown to offer readers the chance to win lunch or dinner for two people, plus a bottle of house wine. Simply complete the form in this week’s paper, on sale now, and send it to us by the closing date on March 31, and the sender of the first form we pull out of the hat will win the prize. Good luck!