The Parkers Arms Hall Gate Hill Newton - 7th March 2015

This was my second visit to The Parkers Arms and based on this visit there will soon be a third.   I made a booking online and requested a vegan menu in the comments box, but I'm not sure this is necessary as there always seems to be vegan options on the menu anyway.   From my point of view I love it because there is no fuss, nothing worse than being asked "whose the vegan" but I do not like to presume and prefer to always give plenty of notice to chef.   We arrived on Saturday night and sat in the bar having drinks whilst perusing the menu,  I was in vegan heaven because the vegan dishes were right up my street.

We were brought some nibbles which were crispy potato skins and salsa, really delicious and well seasoned with sea salt, fantastic with pre-dinner drinks and a great way to use what would otherwise be thrown away, more places should make them.

For starters I had blood orange, red onion and sweet roast beetroot salad with watercress and homemade breadstick, none of those thin grissini sticks these were chunkier but light and moreish and perfect for mopping up all the juices.   The starter was light, full of flavour and a combination which I have never seen before but which worked perfectly and as you can see from the photo so colourful.

I had a choice of mains hand raised caramelised onion, celeriac and beetroot pie in honour of the fact it was British Pie week or roasted cauliflower with nutty jewelled rice which was the dish I decided on.   I love roast cauliflower far nicer than plain boiled and the rice was full of pine nuts, caramelised onions and pomegranate, my husband said he would be more than happy to have my main course it was that good.

The vegan pudding really was to die for, the name said it all "Chocolate Decadence" made with 70% Valrhona chocolate, a chocolate type ganache with chocolate crisps and oat crunch, who said vegans cannot eat pudding!   We shared the pudding which was a revelation because normally I would be to full to manage one and I cannot share my husbands as he is not vegan, but chef Stosie can certainly tickle the tastebuds on the vegan dessert front!

We had a very nice bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and peppermint tea finished the meal.   Service was very warm and friendly from Kathy and AJ and the young folks serving on especially the young lad.   A couple of things I would comment on, one being portion control which is spot on, I hate being overfaced and usually struggle to eat more than a starter and mains and for us the seasoning is spot on too.  All in all a fabulous night and this morning writing this review I am already looking forward to returning.