Review: The Freemasons, Wiswell

Reader, I expected Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy to walk in through the door at any moment. Or perhaps to find them already seated around a table with friends in the Gun Room.

The Freemasons at Wiswell is the most country inn EVER. It’s like a Tardis, with an unimposing plain frontage in a small coaching yard on the outside, and a whole series of upstairs and downstairs rooms on the inside, flagstones, wood-burning stoves, old mounted deer heads, antique furniture, floral displays, the lot. So was I already inclined to be pleased with my lunch? You bet I was.

Luckily it was all excellent. We went for the Spring set menu, although even there it has a generous three options for each course. Lamb fat and rosemary brioche was a lip-smacking bread course to get us going, with good butter and a pea-and-mint spread. My starter was a pearl barley risotto with wild garlic. The barley was perfectly al dente, in a silky emulsion that positively hummed with wild garlic. Tiny crisp matchstick potatoes on top gave good crunch. Maureen’s pea and asparagus soup was a vivid green bowl of delicious thick soup, with what they describe as “cheese fondue” floating on top; a light, tangy, cheesy dollop somewhere close to a mousse that worked wonders with the soup.

For main I chose the Herdwick lamb suet pudding which made me very happy. Absolutely perfect slow-cooked lamb filling in the very thinnest of suet casings, glazed with gravy. The gravy was a super-power all by itself, as dark as Marmite and intensely sheepish. Underneath was a strong accompaniment of peas and tiny silverskin onions in pea puree.

Maureen’s main of pork belly was another splendid piece of meat, slowly cooked but then given some really strong caramelising on both sides with the final sear. The gravy included smoked almond and wild garlic, a great combination with the pork, and there was a firm slab of crispy polenta to one side under a cloud of parmesan.

We shared a baked sweet cicely custard with strawberry jelly for pudding, a really pleasant creamy custard to make a light ending with fresh strawberries. Both wines by the glass were excellent, especially given the really friendly prices. The set lunch menu was £37 each, and that’s great value. They’ve got a la carte and tasting menus too. I love everything about The Freemasons and I think you will too.