From the back garden to the open sea, The Queens Arms’ new menu champions the best of the south west

Bringing together hand-selected produce from across the region, The Queens Arms in Corton Denham has launched a brand new menu to mark the owners’ eighth anniversary at the helm. A reflection of the nation’s changing tastes and evolving approach to eating out, the menu is a collaboration between owners, Gordon and Jeanette Reid, and new head chef, Steven Mesher, with many of the dishes inspired by the abundance of fruit, vegetables and edible flowers grown in the pub’s kitchen garden, as well as Steven’s background working closely with fishmongers on the Dorset coast.

Brimming with seafood, steak, salads and sticky treats, with plenty of floral flourishes along the way, the new menu offers guests the freedom to dine as they choose, with a range of small plates designed either as starters or to be shared with friends, including seared scallops with brawn, lardo and sea vegetables, alongside globe artichoke with Winslade cheese, red pepper and aioli.

Now able to enjoy extended serving times too, diners can select mains either ‘from the grill’, including rump of new season lamb with anchovy butter, fondant potato and rainbow chard, or ‘off the hook’, with dishes such as seared wild sea trout, gem, broad beans, peas and bacon. A choice of salads is also available, headed up by a delicate combination of rosary ash goats cheese, roast peach, thyme and focaccia.

Having earned a reputation for innovation during their eight years in Corton Denham, Gordon and Jeanette have now become the first in the area to introduce an additional menu served from midday until 6pm, recognising a growing desire for casual dining options throughout the day. Humbly titled ‘breads and buns’, the menu boasts everything from 6oz burgers to a croque monsieur made with Longman’s cheddar, as The Queens Arms continues in its tradition of serving exceptional quality crowd pleasers with a twist, together with more inventive dishes to tantalise their diners’ taste buds.

The home-grown theme continues right through to dessert, with sweet treats such as garden strawberry mess and basil meringue arriving fresh from the plot just metres away, all washed down with an elegantly assembled list of liqueurs and dessert wines, for those looking for a sip to savour at the end of the night.

The Queens Arms’ extended serving times for its new menu are midday until 9.30pm Monday to Saturday and midday until 8pm on Sunday. 

For more information on The Queens Arms, please visit www.thequeensarms.com.