A re-imagined gastro pub with a creative menu and wine list, fantastic service and stylish décor, just a ten minute drive from Guildford. Expect delicious food, regular events such as live music, themed dinners and local socials for neighbours.

When I was invited to try the menu at this pub, which is part of the Peach Group I didn’t hesitate. With just two pubs in their growing collection in Surrey their portfolio includes another eighteen (many of them recently acquired) and all in market towns such as Oxford, Warwick and Birmingham. The other Surrey location is The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh, and it’s a favourite of mine .

Since I have lived in Guildford this pub had been crying out for new lease of life. It was a pretty run down and then it was reinvented with a BBQ themed menu. Poor reviews and a very American BBQ menu kept most of us away. Then in 2016 Peach took over. This is a business with a solid understanding of what ingredients you need to make a pub successful. They set to work and with a refurbished interior, creative menu with a mix of traditional and contemporary dishes on the seasonal menu and customers started to roll back in. Add to this a mix of local and imported beers, wines, spirits and real ales and the customer magnet has been switched back on.

What really sets this business aside is the staff, welcoming, helpful and professional its a totally refreshing element of the on site experience. In addition they all seem to really enjoy their jobs in an industry that is well known for long hours and low pay. Its no surprise that out of the ten awards on their website that five are for their employment practices. The Sunday Times ranked them at forty-five in their top 100 companies to work for last year.

The food here is fresh, beautifully presented from ingredients sourced locally and nationally. Head Chef Nic Baba embraces the seasons and although I ate from the spring menu the current summer menu ticks all the boxes too. They share the same core values of healthy eating (an important ethos on the menu) so expect to find plenty of fresh vegetables with your meal too. Sharing boards, hearty salads, extras to add to customise your plate and daily specials form the menu style here. Meat is from top butchers Aubrey Allen who also supply free-range chicken, Cornish lamb and free-range pork from Jimmy Butler. Known as the butcher to the stars you know that poultry, beef and pork here is going to be top notch.

We kicked off our meal with a modern take on a retro prawn cocktail and some ham croquettes served with a spiced tomato chutney. The cocktail was layered for effect and the combination of guacamole, prawns, tomato salsa and crunchy lettuce paired with some crunchy tortilla was delicious (an idea I have since copied for entertaining). The croquettes arrived piping hot with a spicy tomato chutney and local Secretts salad leaves. Crunchy on the outside and creamy and smoky in the middle it was the perfect start to our meal. Mains included pan-fried sea bass on a generous stack of new potatoes and tender stem broccoli and a super food salad with a extra of poached salmon. The fish was fresh and crispy ( source from Brixham day boats) and the accompanying vegetables and sauce without fault. The salad had a deliciously lemony zingy dressing and the perfect balance of pulses, leaves and grated vegetables. No feeling there that you were a second rate diner by choosing a salad plate so this gets a high score in my book.

Deserts had to be the lemon tart, a staple on menus in the 1990’s and an intriguing apple panna cotta. The lemon tart had a caramelised top, which gave way to an intensely lemony creamy filling on a light short buttery pastry – stunning. The panna cotta was really unusual with an apple jelly layer on top of the cream element. Freshly poached apple was served as a garnish. It felt lighter and good for you than I would have expected which is always a plus. We ended with fresh mint tea.

The food here is excellent and a credit to the Peach Group for creating another venue in Surrey that should be on your go to list.

01483 282 312

Guildford RD, East Horsley, Leatherhead, KT24 6AA

www.dukeofwellingtoneasthorsley.co.uk