Eat My Words: We review the Gregory Arms at Harlaxton
When driving through Harlaxton, your attention, aside from the road ahead, is torn between the splendour of the manor one side of the A607 and the Gregory Arms on the other.
The coaching inn stands opposite the gates to Harlaxton Manor, but location aside, the Greg owes its very existence - and name - to the Manor.
Specifically its one-time owner John Sherwin Gregory who, so the story goes, was fed up catching sight of drinkers on his way to church and so had a new pub built to hide them from view, sparing the delicate sensibilities of Sunday worshippers.
Recently those ties were bound a little tighter when the Gregory was taken over by the Manor’s current owners - Harlaxton College, part of the University of Evansville, an American enclave tucked far away from home in this corner of south-west Lincolnshire.
The new owners have set out to add a Transatlantic twist to the inn’s traditional charms, with formal framed photos of past and present university staff decorating the walls, cheek by jowl with olden days photos of Grantham.
Not expecting much by way of atmosphere so early on a Monday evening, it was refreshing to hear the hum of a busy village pub.
Though the lure of St Patrick’s Day and live music may have helped with that.
Having been invited along to dine by the new owners, we were a week or so too early for the launch of the new menu, but there are already hints of what’s to come.
We couldn’t resist a side of waffle fries, seasoned with sea salt and cracked black pepper, which were utterly moreish. And an unbeatable snack if you were just popping in for a pint or a glass of what you fancy.
And even after taking on way more food than was strictly necessary - or recommended by your GP - I couldn’t leave without trying the cowboy cookie for dessert, while my son went for the British staple, sticky toffee pudding.
According to Harlaxton College dean Holly Carter cowboy cookies are the go-to biscuity treat in Texas and those served up at the Greg follow an old family recipe belonging to Holly’s mum - mom.
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You really sense that taste of home. Made with oatmeal, pecans, chocolate chips and coconut, and served warm with ice cream and a white chocoloate tuille, they were moist and yummy. The ultimate comfort food and a perfect finale to our Anglo-American culinary escapade.
But back to the start.
What became quite the epic dining journey began by sampling a few starter options and other titbits.
A platter arrived heaving with delicious bitesize homemade sausage rolls, chicken wings smothered in barbecue sauce, and a small baked camembert, oozing cheese encased in a nice peppery crust.
Perhaps the unexpected star were the jalapeno poppers - another family recipe, this time the brainchild of Holly’s dad - super little pickled jalapenos inside a light and delicate batter.
The mains menu consisted of pub classics, with a few specials thrown in. It’s also quite small, but that is no bad thing as that generally means better-quality dishes.
And the up-coming new menu may expand that. More American twists are currently being worked on.
I went for a favourite on both sides of the pond - an 8oz 40-day hung rump steak served with generously cut, fluffy skin-on chips, tomato, flat-cap mushroom and my old guilty pleasure, a super-tasty peppercorn sauce.
My nine-year-old went for his all-time favourite fish and chips, reporting ‘it is battered really well and the chips are wonders’.
My wife was impressed by her main - two fillets of sea bass served on honey-coated parsnips and carrots and a small cake of crushed potatoes which had a slight heat from the harissa. Delicately-cooked and decorated with edible flowers.
Customer service seems to come easier to our American cousins than the more reticent Brits can muster up, and it’s delivered with genuine enthusiasm. The Gregory was well staffed and the service was attentive and came with a smile.
Trying to blend Britain’s unique pub culture with an overseas flavour can often end up diluting both parts. But not here - we liked the balance. Still early days, but so far, so good.
The hum of different dialects and age groups made for a genuinely lovely experience.
Out of five:
Food: Mainly classic pub dishes, but well cooked and tasty. No faults ****
Drinks: Driving and a school night so went for soft drinks, but excellent choice of beer, ale and wine ***
Decor: Bright and modern, but sympathetic to its roots - check out the (glass-covered) indoor well! ****
Staff: Friendly, attentive but not overbearing ****
Price: As we were invited our visit was complimentary, but had we paid, the three mains and two desserts would have cost £65.25. Good value and we’ll be happy to pay that when we return ****
Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@lincsonline.co.uk
