insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 13 - March 2016 | Page 40

FOOD+DRINK THE SHEPHERD AND DOG a proper country pub with personality Time and time again, thinking about what to do over the weekend, I find myself yearning for the same thing: a proper country pub. Gastropubs are fabulous, as are more upmarket wine bars, but there’s just something very special about the laid back, local feel of a real country pub, and, with the number of pubs in the UK now at its lowest in a decade, they’re a rarity these days. Polly Humphris finally finds what she’s looking for at the Shepherd and Dog in Fulking. Far from the outdated ‘tankards and tweed’ stereotype that may blight perceptions of a place to relax with a pint in the countryside, the Shepherd and Dog is a country pub that sits neatly apart from both ‘gastropub’ and ‘traditional boozer’, but that shares qualities with both. Like a gastropub, a breed that swooped in and saved an awful lot of pubs’ lives in the 90s, the Shepherd and Dog serves delicious, highend food and drinks, and, like a boozer, it’s got that warming sense of familiarity about it that only a well-loved pub has. Formerly the pub’s head chef, David also knows his food, and so do the rest of his staff. Presented with a menu so full of loveliness I didn’t know what to eat, Eleanor, our brilliant waitress (who, it must be noted, had crayons and colouring in front of the kids before we could say ‘starter’) suggested the Drunken Mussels, and I’m glad I took her up on it. Served in a beer and bacon broth with chilli and spring onion, they were so fresh and tasty, I almost wished I’d had them as my main. Until my main arrived. A stilton and leek pudding with grilled courgette, garlic butter kale and semi-dried heritage tomatoes, the pudding was almost as light as a mousse in places and every single flavour on the plate sang out. It would be a crime not to mention the tender and moist spatchcock quail too - served on a bed of earthy pearl barley coated with a rich mushroom sauce, the only fault there would be that my other half ordered it, so I didn’t get to eat it all. It’s also got its very own personality, a welcome trait that’s apparent the minute you walk in the door. With lots of candles flickering; framed ‘then and now’ pictures depicting the local area; a gorgeous inglenook fireplace taking centre stage; and low beams setting off its cosiness perfectly, the restaurant is one of those rooms that makes you want to sigh ‘ahhh’ happily and sit down the minute you enter. It’s a warm and welcoming space only matched by the attentiveness of the excellent staff who greet you with a smile, but give you the time and space you need to decide what it is you want to order. The Shepherd and Dog at Fulking is not to be missed. With no stuffiness and just the right amount of edge courtesy of its young, clued-up management, it isn’t pretending to be anything other that what is so clearly is - a proper country pub. The food is fantastic, but you’d be just as welcome to stroll in with your dog if only to sit and sup a pint. Or four.