Ex marks the spot for a great meal

Clarke is making his mark

Iam increasingly drawn to restaurants based on the reputation of the chef, and The Exeter Arms at Easton on the Hill is a case in point. It has been on the radar for a while -I have had people recommend it to me over the past year or so - and was aware it is from the same stable as the White Hart at Ufford; so I knew it had pedigree.

Then a contact mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Dameon Clarke had taken over as head chef and my ears pricked up.

His name may well be familiar to people who have dined out in the Stamford area in the past couple of years, and until recently he was head chef at the excellent Wicked Witch at Ryhall, which closed last month.

Clearly, the Exeter Arms feel he is a draw, too, as he gets a name check on the website (www.theexeterarms.net).

It’s a 20 minute drive from Peterborough, and easy to find just off the A1 before you get to Stamford.

It’s an attractive, imposing building on the main road with a large car park, which was just as well as the place was very busy for Sunday lunch when we arrived.

The pub has a nice feel to it, there’s plenty of space, and at the back is a very pleasant, light orangery, seating about 20, which looks over a suntrap of a patio.

We were shown to a table in the orangery, drinks were ordered and the menu given a good going over.

Obviously we were there for a roast dinner, so it was the starters and desserts we were interested in, to see if the creative and imaginative Mr Clarke was beginning to make his mark on the place.

Well, based on an old menu I managed to find online, the answer is yes. Tuna tartar with ginger jelly and Vietnamese shallots, curried goat terrine and marinated betroots with goats curd are not your standard fare.

And there are some equally appetising sounding creations to be found on the dinner, lunch and dessert menus.

As it was Donna was devastated to discover, for the first time on our travels, sashimi tuna with sushi rice, mango and ginger jelly - bearing in mind it is off limits to woman during their pregnancy.

She had to “settle” for an interesting creation: a shelled king prawn on a bed of red onion marmalade with a sprinkling of micro rocket. The bowl was then partially filled with a warm and quite sweet squash veloute.

My Lincolnshire Scotch egg was a delight. A crispy coating, tasty warm sausage meat and a lovely runny egg. Simple but so effective, served with a tangy spiced pickle and creamy red cabbage slaw.

We both had the roast beef dinner - a great, thick slice of meat cooked rare for me – an absolutely super piece of meat. The gravy was thick and ever so rich, the potatoes not crispy enough for my taste and the Yorkshire pudding a little flat - again I like a little crispness - but otherwise fine.

Having been won over by a divine, if a little soggy, vanilla pannacotta recently, Donna was keen to see how it stood up here. Very favourably to be fair - it was set, it wobbled and tasted good, complimented by the raspberries and fruity sorbet.

I was equally enamoured with the soft, spongey black treacle and stem ginger caketopped with a ginger syrup and vanilla ice cream. Some big strong flavours sitting nicely together.

The service was excellent, the food was top notch in execution, presentation and taste, and the bill for three courses and a drink each just nudged the £50 mark BRAD’S RATING: