The Ilchester Arms, Symondsbury

Jane Rakison snapped up the chance to visit Dorset’s most promising new dining pub

What’s the draw?

The opportunity to visit the place that’s about to be on everyone’s lips, but before they’ve even heard of it.

The Ilchester Arms in the quaint village of Symondsbury has been taken over by head chef Paul Brinicombe and his partner (and front‑of‑house pro) Ariana Rut, who’ve turned it into something rather special.

The pair have given the 16th‑century village pub a shiny new makeover that’s way more than just a lick of paint (although they’ve done that too). The pub’s reinvention centres around locally sourced, pared‑back, ingredient‑driven food, which is served in a building split between a pub and a dining room. The menu is chalked up on the wall and dishes gratifyingly crossed off when sold out.

Tables in the casual dining room are furnished with white paper tablecloths (the smart kind), crisp cotton napkins, unfussy cutlery and cute‑but‑not‑too‑cute miniature coloured vases filled with fresh cottage flowers. It’s grid‑friendly to be sure, but authentic in equal measure.

Who’s cooking?

Chef‑owner Paul is originally from Birmingham, although his cheffing career has largely been based in the South West – including a stint as head chef at The Royal Clarence Hotel.

His culinary inspiration stems from a childhood spent in his grandfather’s veg patch and watching his grandmother pickling produce, so it’s no surprise his contemporary food heroes are ingredient hounds Jeremy Lee at Quo Vadis and Fergus Henderson of St John.

What to order?

Cheffed‑up pub classics rub along nicely with Paul’s more original creations on a menu that’s easy on the eye.
Dishes arrived beautifully dressed yet without fanfare: a grilled asparagus starter with white bean hummus and pesto consisted of a pillowy soft bed of the dip with whole grilled asparagus on top, adorned with generous dollops of chunky pesto.

Being so close to the coast, the devilled whole Brixham mackerel with new‑potato salad and green salad was a must‑order. Soft chunks of flavourful fish were the perfect foil for the nicely pitched heat of the vermilion sauce. The salad was well seasoned, with aromatic snippets of chives running through. Another main of tender Devon duck breast saw the poultry served with pickled rhubarb, which paired well with the meat, and roasted jerusalem artichokes.

Puddings were a mix of classic and inventive. Crepes suzette was tempting, but we plumped for the more unusual honey toast with stewed plums. A block of toasted brioche – marbled with deliciously sticky dark patches of honey – was moreishly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It was blanketed in a bright plum sauce and served with a dollop of chantilly cream to cut its sweetness.

Need to know

The drinks menu is as interesting as the food. Natural wines feature on the wine list while a range of bespoke cocktails ‑ some of which can be turned into NoLo drinks ‑ have been designed for the pub by UK mixologist supremo Jack Wareing.

ilchesterarmssymondsbury.co.uk

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