Food file - Pub Review
The Chequers Inn Rowhook, near Horsham, West Sussex.
It took some finding, but we finally arrived at what I consider to be the quintessential English pub. Nesting in the heart of leafy Sussex village Rowhook (15-minute drive from the centre of Horsham), the Chequers Inn was the perfect location for a relaxing lunch, made all the more idyllic by a recent spate of warm weather. The pub - thought to be one of the best in south-east England - had two different menus of locally-sourced home-cooked dishes: the Flagstone bar menu, which offered British classics, and the Neal's Restaurant set menu (starting at £15), which offered gastronomic feasts in a dining room setting.
We soon agreed that the set menu was too heavy for a lunch-time treat, and opted for the bar menus - but I must confess our decision was swayed by another customer who waltzed to the bar saying: "Are you still doing your really great ploughmans?" I'd never heard the words "really great" and "ploughmans" used in the same sentence before. Unable to choose between the intriguing Bang Bang Chicken Salad (chicken cooked with chilli, sesame and peanut butter) (£8) and the fresh salmon and dill tart, served with a celeriac coleslaw (£8) I greedily opted for both - something I can honestly say I've never done before. My mother-in-law chose the perfectly cooked salmon niçoise (£10), while my husband went for the hearty ploughmans (£7). Each of the generously-portioned dishes came with a mountain of lightly-dressed salad.
And yes we did order chips, but instead of trying to cram a disappointing portion into dessert bowl, they were served in a what can only be described as a pie dish - genius! And they were seasoned with Maldon sea salt! Without a doubt the fantastic food, friendly atmosphere, traditional rural setting and eclectic mix of drinkers and diners make this one of the finest pubs I've ever visited. I'll certainly be going again!
PubChef rating (marks out of 10)Ambience: 9 Value for money: 10 Overall impression: 9 Flavour Factor: 9
