The Willoughton Wanderer

The Devonshire in Upper Langwith on the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire border is a well appointed pub with a fine restaurant.

We had made a trip out to the Welbeck Abbey Farm Shop and over coffee did a quick Google and found this gem of an eatery a short drive away. On arrival there were few cars in the carpark but as we had swung by just at opening time that was to be expected. However, during the course of our visit the car park filled up and the diners arrived.

Entering from the carpark you are immediately struck by the quality of the establishment. Fine glazed wooden (oak?) double doors greet you and lead you into the bar area with a range of tables if you just want to sit down and have a drink. Swing left from the bar and you enter the restaurant up a small flight of steps. The decor is grand and light music plays through the speakers.

The chairs in the restaurant are harlequin in style, very well upholstered in a range of differing cloths. Nice. In the centre, under the skylight which drenches the room with natural light, is a large stone urn with a floral display. This is a nice environment to spend a long lunch any day of the week!

The Summer Menu has a wide range of starters and mains to choose from. For the starters perhaps a whipped feta peperonata with capers, fresh micro herbs, olive tapenade dressing and toasted garlic ciabatta; or maybe deep fried breaded belly pork bites with black pudding crumbles, crushed crackling and wholegrain mustard dressed leaves; or a homemade salmon, cod and dill fishcake with creamed spinach and leeks, topped with molten vintage cheddar.

For the mains you could choose from a ragu of English lamb, a peppered pork loin with parsley crushed new potatoes or real ale battered fish of the day with the usual hand-cut twice cooked chips, and so much more. The menus are well worth a visit on their website with so much mouth-watering fayre on offer.

Being lunchtime we opted for something lighter off the Lunchtime Favourites menu. Mrs Wanderer went for the pulled chicken and spicy chorizo stuffed flatbread with fresh green and red chillies, garlic mayo and molten mozzarella at £11.95. I chose the shaved beef, pork and turkey deli sandwich with Welbeck caraway bread, wholegrain mustard and dill pickles at £12.95.

When the food arrived (not too quick, not too slow) my eyes widened at the size of my deli sandwich. Mrs Wanderer was impressed with her meal too and the side order of hand-cut chips was perhaps unnecessary but a joy none-the-less. Both meals were served with a lovely dressed salad.

It was nice that for once, when something purports to be hot (in this case the chillies) there was no disappointment. So many times dishes are let down by lack of heat but this time the mark was well and truly hit.

My shaved beef was succulent and the quantity of turkey and pork in the deli sandwich was spot on. The bread, freshly baked at the farm shop we had earlier visited, was gorgeous. In these straightened times so many eateries are cutting down on portion size to keep prices low but not the Devonshire. The portions are hearty!

So, will we visit again? You bet we will. It is well worth a return visit if only to try the other dishes on the menu!

Highly recommended.