The Avon Causeway
REVIEWS
review by Adam Trimby
There is nothing better than sharing a few cold beers, or a couple of glasses of wine in a nice English pub with a plate of hot, tasty food and good company.
Where else should one turn, other than to The Avon Causeway pub and hotel, just on the outskirts of Christchurch in Hurn.
Owned by Wadworth, it not only offers the kind of salvation expected of most country pubs but also hosts luxurious hotel rooms and even the option to book a murder mystery evening on the pub’s own converted train carriage.
Even though my girlfriend Marta and I arrived a little early for our reservation, the staff were more than accommodating to let us sit at our table and order if the mood took. We decided to drink in the atmosphere before tackling the beautiful menu.
Having been refurbished a couple of years ago, The Avon Causeway has wonderful tone, with ambient lighting and rustic, yet comfortable, décor and furniture. Marta and I felt very contented in such a well-thought-out space. However, we couldn’t sit and drink for ever; so, we pressed on to the food.
For starters, I delved into something truly delicious, the Soup of the Day, which was a parsnip and honey medley of flavours with some beautiful cuts of rustic bread. Marta opted for the Confit shredded duck, crispy Parma ham salad and rum-soaked figs and her meal looked as beautiful as it tasted. I couldn’t resist sharing a few bites.
Our mains were just as delectable, deciding to go for what seemed to be two of the more popular items on the menu, the Rack of barbecue ribs with corn on the cob, sweet potato fries and dressed leaves and the Trio of mini burgers – beef with bacon and cheese, pork and apple and minted lamb burgers in brioche buns with sweet potato fries, mustard and ketchup. Both meals were large in size and well worth the wait.
Each dish was in keeping with The Avon Causeway’s philosophy of ‘good quality produce, cooked simply with great flavours’. What more could we want?
Well, Marta and I were not finished – even though we possibly should have been – and gave in to our craving sweet teeth with two of the more gluttonous items on the menu. I grabbed a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Ice Cream and a Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream for Marta.
Positively stuffed, we sat in the comfort of the restaurant enjoying the rest of our bottle of Rosé, imagining how enjoyable it would be to have the same amazing food and for an Inspector Poirottype to burst in and walk us through a Murder on the Avon Express. How exciting.
