337. By Bus To Evesham.

 

  Evesham is a moderately large, bustling town with a distinguished role in history - it was the scene of the Battle of Evesham where the future Edward I defeated the rebel Simon de Montfort. Its place in English culinary history is rather less notable - a single Evesham restaurant has only ever been included in the Michelin Guide and then for just one year - the Italian restaurant, Fontaine de Trevi in 1989. 

  I and the dog were holidaying in Stratford upon Avon and, becoming more familiar with the public transport links to surrounding towns and villages, as well keen to take the dog with me for company, I decided to take the bus to Evesham and even though now it seems there is no dining establishment in the town to be singled out for the excellence of its cuisine, I was hopeful I might find a dog friendly pub serving good food.

  The Royal Oak appeared to fit the description but when I read about it on the internet a message popped up saying it was not presently offering food and so I singled out the Trumpet Inn instead. It had a pretty exterior and an attractive collection of flowers in hanging baskets, barrels and window boxes - the management clearly took pride in the place and had worked hard to make it look welcoming. A blackboard outside the door made the point that any diner that day could choose to have curried goat which sounded promising. The interior was nicely decorated in red and white and had the feel that working people supped there and it was all very welcoming including one of the local customers who fed biscuits to a grateful Lucy The Labrador.

  A starter of prawn cocktail was too big an attraction to resist and it arrived generously portioned, the salad crisp and fresh and the Marie Rose sweet and delightfully mildly spicy. 

  Then to the curried goat. The presentation was rustic and the serving generous. The rice was well cooked but a little wet. The goat was in quite small chunks but it had a pleasingly mild flavour compared with lamb and the sauce was excellent. The accompanying naan was obviously bought in and, with all the rice, probably not necessary but that did not stop me eating some and enjoying the lightness of it. This was honest, home cooked food at a modest price. Service was friendly and helpful. So generous were the portions that a pudding sadly was out of the question and, in any case, the bus back to Stratford, which runs just hourly, was due.

  The dog and I journeyed back to Stratford enjoying the lovely Worcestershire and Warwickshire countryside, catching sight of Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham where the Cotswolds begin, on the comfortable bus passing through Bidford on Avon, Harvington and Salford Priors with its large number of modern houses. There’s a lot of exploring to do yet in this southern part of the Midlands where Gloucestershire intertwines with Worcestershire and Worcestershire mingles with Warwickshire and Oxfordshire tries to get in on the act too. And many charming south Midlands dining establishments to experience. Here and there, dining all around the Midlands, that’s Lucy The Labrador’s and my mission and it continues.

Evesham -

The Royal Oak

Rating:- 🌛🌛