Menuwatch: The Mutton, Hazeley Heath, Hampshire

01 February 2023 by

Mutton by name, mutton by menu, this Hampshire pub is no longer the black sheep thanks to new ownership

A Pét-Nat from Rioja with cheese and onion shortbread? That'll do nicely. No, this isn't a natural wine bar in Hackney, it's a pub in Hampshire, down a quiet, leafy lane set in Site of Special Scientific Interest-protected lowland heath. The Mutton, as it's now called (formerly the Shoulder of Mutton), was rescued from dereliction last year by the Taylor family, opening its doors on 5 October.

Behind the stove is Rob Boer, who started out with Nathan Outlaw, spent considerable time at the Black Rat in Winchester and with Matthew Tomkinson, who remains his biggest influence, first at the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu, then at Betony in Whiteparish. Now he's here, at this 70-seat pub (with a further 65 seats outside come the summer months), along with his three-strong brigade.

Vadouvan paneer
Vadouvan paneer

This is a first for the Taylor family – Carole and Jon, son Tom and nephew Tony. With a background in finance, the hospitality business beckoned when their cherished local looked set on a path of neglect after its doors were shut three years previously. There was talk of a community takeover, but instead they decided to buy it themselves, along with close friend Ashley Hutton, enlisting the help of hospitality specialists Nigel Sutcliffe and James McLean at Truffle Hunting Consulting.

Interiors are by Jojo Barr at London-based interior design studio House Nine Design. Think repurposed vintage furniture, vibrant splashes of colour with burnt orange and yellow banquettes, and walls decked with artwork inspired by local produce.

And it is all about the produce, declares Boer: "The menu evolved from the realisation that we have so many great local suppliers nearby. Being called the Mutton, we knew we always had to have one or two great mutton dishes on the menu, and the Hampshire Shepherd has great stuff and it's just five miles away. And there's the Woodland Pig Company, where we get all our pork, just 10 miles from here.

"We found this lovely Israeli guy called Uri who has just opened a bakery in Wokingham called U Bakery, whose sourdough bread is incredible. Then there are the suppliers I'm already familiar with, such as Medstead Meats in Alton – their game is amazing."

So, that mutton. There are two mutton dishes, a riff on shepherd's pie (£19), and a starter dish of mutton on crumpet (£9.50), It's inspired by an old Cornish dish called Cull Yaw, explains Boer: "I added pickled cabbage to cut through the richness of the meat. We use shoulder for the dish. We add salt, garlic and rosemary and leave it overnight before washing it off, then cook it overnight in a vac pac. By morning it's falling apart and packed with flavour. Sometimes we get the whole carcass and break it down ourselves. It's great to be able to use all the animal. I'm always shocked by how much fat there is, but we don't waste it – we grate it and use it for dumplings for winter stews. We even make our own crumpets. When you get a rhythm going it's easy – Thursday is crumpet day," he adds, with a grin.

Chargrilled pork chop, roasted apricot, hazelnut, sage and brown butter
Chargrilled pork chop, roasted apricot, hazelnut, sage and brown butter

The madeleines are another dish Boer won't be taking off any time soon. Since opening, they have been going down a storm, flavoured with honey and served with a miso butterscotch sauce (£8), tweaked for December with cinnamon and served with a brandy butterscotch sauce. "I fell in love with madeleines while working at the Black Rat. They never came off the menu there either. When I left, I always said when I get the chance, I'll bring them back."

In general, though, the menu will roll with the seasons, and it will change constantly now that the kitchen is running smoothly, promises Boer. "We don't want to be tied to dishes. We want to shake things up and make sure people don't get bored," he says. Even though they've only been open a short time, they have cultivated many regulars, with locals making up an estimated 70% of clientele. The pub's proximity to the M3 (about a 12-minute drive) will doubtless draw in those from further afield.

Plum and almond upside-down cake, crème fraîche ice-cream
Plum and almond upside-down cake, crème fraîche ice-cream

Average spend is £30 for lunch and £50 at dinner, and there's a prix-fixe menu offered in the quieter months for lunch and early dinner, from Wednesdays to Fridays, at £18 for two courses and £21 for three. For example, Boer will make a ragu out of the venison saddles and serve it with fresh pasta. "I love thinking up dishes using ingredients that most kitchens would bin off," he says. "I'm never going to have five chefs crowded around a plate here, but I want to try to elevate pub dining and make it as good as it can be."

From the menu

  • Cheese and onion shortbread £3.50
  • Pulled pork croquette, roasted apple, pickled kohlrabi £9.50
  • Grilled mackerel, mackerel pakoras, pickled carrot, lentils £8.50
  • Venison, salt-baked celeriac, curly kale, beetroot, pepper jus £26
  • Roasted salt cod, butternut squash, ricotta dumplings, squid, chicken jus £22.50
  • Mutton ‘shepherd's pie': slow-braised shoulder of mutton, creamy mash, roasted cabbage £19
  • Plum and almond upside-down cake, crème fraîche ice-cream £9
  • Dark chocolate crémeux, lime parfait, coconut, raspberry £9.50

*Hazeley Heath, Hook RG27 8NB

themuttonathazeleyheath.co.uk*

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