The Corston Wheatsheaf, nr. Bath

“So she took her love for to gaze awhile upon the fields of barley…”

Okay, so we weren’t quite channeling Sting and Trudi when we reached the Corston Wheatsheaf, the historic roadside pub on the Wells Road/A39 just three or four miles west of Bath city centre; Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in their 2010 BBC2 TV series The Trip would probably be a more accurate comparison. But this handsome coaching inn on the edge of a properly picturesque village and surrounded by fields of abundant produce is prone to bringing on a bout of lyrical inspiration in over-excited urbanites; it is, in a word, gorgeous.

General manager Harriet Furlong has two decades of hospitality experience on her CV including a long-term residency overseeing The Chequers in Bath during the Bath Pub Company years – and her background, experience and discerning eye for what makes a good pub a really good pub is stamped all over her new residency. 

Harriet unveiled a fresh start for a watering hole that has its own (checkered) history in November of last year, revealing the results of a refurbishment that’s put original heritage flourishes (stone floors; beautiful beams; proper fireplaces) back in the spotlight while offering broad appeal to contemporary tastes and expectations; it’s traditional without being fusty, modern without any jarring cultural disorientation.

There’s no reason – or, indeed, no time – not to eat at the Corston Wheatsheaf. Lunch, proper roasts on Sundays and even brunch on Fridays and Saturdays all have their own dedicated menus while a range of pub classics on the fish and chips/burgers/pies etc theme sit happily alongside the whole array. Meanwhile, a captivating gastropub menu captures full-on foodie attention… and that’s the menu we plundered on our visit. 

To start, Confit Pork and Green Peppercorn Rillette came with flourishes that flaunted flavour and texture in perfect harmony including a dinky little black pudding bonbon and shards of perfect pork crackling. Smoked Mackerel Croquettes, meanwhile – smoky, buttery and just-the-right-amount-of rich within their frangible overcoats – ate like a dream. 

To follow, a glistening Cornish Hake Fillet complemented by a tangy/sweetly fruity tomato beurre blanc with hits of samphire, capers and dill enlivening every forkful and parmesan crisps bringing extra-added umami crunch to the party. Meanwhile, my Herb Crusted Lamb Rump was, I believe, the most beautifully-balanced lamb dish I’ve ever encountered: perfectly pink, sweet meat so soft I swear it would have yielded to a teaspoon, with a robust lamb shoulder and feta croquette, earthy beetroot puree, perfect Pommes Anna and a deeply savoury lamb jus upping the flavour-intensity factor to the max.

When is a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake not just – well, that? When it comes with a Lemon Posset as standard, amaretti crumb and sherbet adding a playfully progressive reframe to the enduringly popular duo. Similarly, lashings of sophisticated elderflower custard and a globe of sharp, clean sorbet gave a super-short tart laden with apple and almond crumble a distinctly grown-up edge.

The Corston Wheatsheaf kitchen clearly knows all there is to know about good eats – and Hannah and her staff clearly know all there is to know about creating a proper environment in which to reap the benefits of the whole experience.