Thursday night is tapas night at The Red Cow. No, we’re not in a trendy bar in central Cambridge but a thatched pub in the sleepy village of Chrishall, nestled amongst winding single-track lanes between Royston and Saffron Walden, and which, to the untrained eye looks about as traditional as they come. Locals chat in the pub garden while a chocolate Labrador basks in the last rays of an autumn sun: a picture of rural tranquillity.
But this is no backwater, and by steering away from the predictable pub grub menu, The Red Cow has earned itself a mention in The Good Pub Guide and plaudits from CAMRA and Les Routiers. And the accolades are well deserved. Toby Didier has been the landlord at The Red Cow since 2010, bringing the experience he gleaned as head chef at excellent gastropub, The Chequers in Matching Green, Essex. His head chef here is Jason Holland, whose menu displays a love of tradition and influences from around the world.
Being tapas night, it would have been be rude not to start with a selection of three small plates to share. The honeyed brie in breadcrumbs, hot, crisp calamari and ‘gypsy eggs’ (eggs baked in a tomato sauce with chorizo) went down exceptionally well.
Still, there’s something about a country pub (I love its thick timber beams, decorated with fairy lights, and open, brick fireplace) and the onset of winter that invites something hearty. So from my summery starter I moved gladly on to their pie of the day: chicken and mushroom in thick, dark gravy, served with a pleasing scoop of herb-infused mash and fresh garden vegetables. The crust was buttery and crisp, the filling rich and flavoursome: faultless all round.
Across the table, my friend entertained me with stories of awkward weddings and post-PhD life between bites of beautiful fish and chips. Unlike chip shop fish, which can leave you with greasy hunks of solid batter to enjoy at the time but regret later, this generous morsel was thinly, perfectly coated in crisp batter, the fish inside piping hot and succulent. It lay on a bed of crushed peas with mint, served with skin-on potato wedges, lemon and home-made tartar sauce.
After a glance at the dessert menu I was easily talked into the sharing platter for two. This was a spectacular finale to an excellent meal, comprising small portions of three desserts, served with tulle baskets of chocolate and vanilla ice cream from the Saffron Ice Cream Company and garnishes of strawberry and mint. The trio included baked cheesecake with a berry sauce, a lovely, treacly sticky toffee pudding and delicious, warm chocolate brownie with orange marmalade accompaniment.
A nice touch was the hand-rendered white and dark chocolate cows, in keeping with the pub’s fun (tasteful, though) range of cow memorabilia and bringing a burst of character to the meal.
Prices are around the £14 mark for a main, easily justified by the quality, quantity and care clearly put into every dish. Almost everything is prepared on-site, using local ingredients, and giving customers plenty of choice. I’ll certainly be back, though with steak night on Tuesday, pie night on Wednesday and traditional roasts served on Sundays – not to mention the gorgeous village setting – it might be easier just to move in.
