On Monday evening, I was lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview of a friend's new business venture, Hawkes House, Thornbury. Located on St Mary's Street, the former pub/live music venue, The Barrel Inn, has been stripped back and transformed into a beautiful new neighbourhood café bar. Local Cotswold folk might already know James and Simon as they own a firm Tewkesbury favourite, Theoc House, but to those that don't, their concept is simple; they open 8:30am - 11pm seven days a week, where you can eat breakfast, brunch, elevenses, lunch, afternoon treats, early evening snacks, dinner, late night munchies, and if needs be, some nibbles to soak up all that accidentally drank alcohol.
Whilst the bar is well stocked with an excellent selection of spirits, both local and continental beers, and a concise but varied wine list, Hawkes House isn't just a pub. They serve expertly made coffees, cuppa's from Attic Tea, and a range of soft drinks that would cater to anyone's taste. It's all very relaxed, and with a stack of books and board games, the whole family can stay entertained. So whether you just pop in for a swift one, or leisurely spend the day browsing the daily papers, or even make a night of it, glad rags and all, this is the place to go.
Having a bit of inside gossip about what the place was like beforehand, and a few updates on the progress of the refurbishment, these guys didn't have a particularly easy ride, but boy, what a masterpiece they've created. The pair have clearly learnt a lot since they opened the doors to Theoc two years ago, she's like the older and wiser sister, whereas Hawkes House, with it's open kitchen, exposed brickwork, retro furniture, and industrial lighting, is the new swankier sibling. 
As for the food, in celebratory style we decided to start off with some antipasto and tapas to share between us; salami, chorizo and prosciutto were the stars on the meat board, with sun dried tomatoes and olives dotted about, rounded off with a few bread-y goods. Tapas wise, we had to try the black pudding scotch egg - which, you'll be glad to know, had a perfectly runny centre - and the beer battered cod with tartare sauce was another winner too. Roasted veg with goats cheese, sesame and soy beef strips, and lime, chilli and garlic tiger prawns were also thrown into the mix, and priced at £7.50 for a choice of three dishes, you can't go too wrong.
For a main course, after much deliberation, I went for the Cataplana fish stew (I had no idea what Cataplana meant, but trusty Google has informed me that it's a Portuguese seafood dish). It was a plate almost overflowing with a rich, smoky tomato sauce, with a bounty of prawns, mussels, chunks of cod, salmon and chorizo lurking underneath. I was more than happy that it came with a wedge of sourdough to mop everything up. The other mains on our table were the classic steak and chips, pork t-bone with Tewkesbury mustard mash and gravy, shepherds pie topped with sweet potato and a curry from the specials board, all of which everyone enjoyed.
To give you a bit more info on the food - though you could, and should go check it out for yourself - the menu contains a list of all day brunch options, sandwiches on local Hobbs House bread or in a focaccia, antipasto and tapas dishes, a variety of burgers (not just your standard beef) and more substantial seasonal fare, currently titled 'winter warmers'. There is also a daily specials board which, as you'd expect, changes on a daily basis, and sees the likes of more unusual 'chef's special' dishes (I spied swordfish on Monday), and that's where you'll find your Sunday roasts.
There's a separate dessert board, which, again, changes according to what the kitchen fancy making. We were late in the game when we'd finished dinner, so our options were limited, but we snapped up some creme brûlée's and sticky toffee pudding, which were both sumptuously satisfying. Take note, if you're clever enough to scout out what's on offer early on, get in there quick before your favourite gets crossed out!
Its probably safe to say that Hawkes House won't be winning any fancy schmancy awards for their offerings because, basically, its not that kind of place; they're all about serving quality food and drink which is affordable (most things are under a tenner with the most expensive being the 8oz rump at £12.95). Whether you're local, or just a passer by, there are plenty of friendly faces to welcome you no matter what the occasion, and right now it makes a gorgeous retreat from the cold - they have a lovely outside seating area which will come into it's own in the summer months. Despite not really knowing what else is in Thornbury, Hawkes House seems like its on to a good thing, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it.. Like a hawk some might say.
No comments:
Post a Comment