THE HAWKLEY INN - Pococks Lane, Liss

Another Friday, another beautiful day. It was my turn to choose our destination today, and when the sun is out, I am always drawn to the country. We are also working our way through a list of pubs which need to be revisited, and top of that list was The Hawkley Inn in Liss.

We have visited this pub before, and it is no secret that it has a good reputation for both food and drink. So let's be honest with each other. We love this pub. Luckily it is signposted from some way out, otherwise it could prove tricky to find without the aid of sat-nav. Whenever I see this pub, it always puts me in mind of a saloon from a Western, with its lean to and rustic wooden charms. I'm always a little disappointed that it doesn't have a swinging door, ready for trouble makers to be tossed out headfirst. I digress slightly.

Just like you imagine a saloon of old, this pub feels friendly and full of life. It is bright and airy inside, embracing the sunshine outside. There is a garden out back, but we opted for the cowboy veranda out the front. That's the end of the Western references. We sat on our wooden benches and sipped on our iced coke as we perused the menus. The specials board was gametastic, including pigeon, rabbit and venison. The main menu had plenty of options if game isn't your thing. It's one of those menus that has something for everyone. It is our duty to point out that it is on the pricy side for pub food, but as we are increasingly finding with the heightened quality of gastro pubs, sometimes it's worth it. We'll do all the hard work for you. If we pay top end and it's not worth it, we'll be sure to let you know.

I was seduced by the chicken supreme with stilton sauce, sautéed new potatoes and vegetables. Dad found himself drawn to the pork belly. Let's start off by saying it certainly is worth the extra outlay. All the ingredients are of noticeably high quality. Everything is made in house and the execution is without fault. It's also important to point out that the portion sizes are good. For some inexplicable reason, many eateries think that when you charge more, you provide less. As far as we're concerned, if you get a tiny portion of high quality ingredients, it should cost the same as a big old portion of fish and chips. That's enough of that. Safe to say, that when we put our cutlery down, we were well and truly satisfied.

I think you've already noticed that we are very keen on this pub. It oozes charm, it's everything we want in a country pub, and let's not forget, the food is wonderful. It might be a little bit out the way, unless you happen to live in Hawkley, but once you've been there, you will be a fan forever.

Atmosphere          10

Service                 8

Food                    9

Value                   8

Verdict                 5*

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