It has been quite a while since I last put fingertips to keyboard, that’s partially down to being on honeymoon. There will be more about that in days to come, but we have also recently been to The Nut Tree Inn for an eight-course tasting menu, which was a wedding present from my bridesmaid and her man.
The Nut Tree Inn is in Murcott, Oxfordshire and in 2018 was voted Oxfordshire’s best fine dining pub and number 17 in the ‘Top 50 UK Gastro Pubs’. The village pub is managed by Mike and Imogen North and has held a Michelin Star since 2008. With its traditional thatched roof, the 15th-century inn’s got plenty of countryside charm and the staff are helpful and attentive, without making you feel like you need to eat in a rush.
We’re never one to shy away from a challenge, so here’s our eight-course lunch for you:
Amuse bouche
Garlic mushrooms in sourdough
Pave of Nut Tree smoked Loch Duart salmon with horseradish cream, pickled cucumber, Avruga caviar.
Parfait of Cotswold chicken livers with Nut Tree garden apple compote, toasted brioche.
I cannot remember the fish in this course! Hake, I think with leeks, lush!
Grilled fillet of aged Charolais beef, shitake mushrooms and amazing mash.
Pre-dessert – passionfruit mousse with a shortbread soldier. It looked like a hard-boiled egg.
Apple crumble soufflé.
Selection of artisan cheese.
I’d definitely recommend a visit especially if you are celebrating a special occasion. The eight courses were definitely manageable, as the portion sizes are spot on, but you probably won’t need to eat anything else in the next 48 hours.
Wow! That loooks amazing!