Lunch in Ledbury - Verzon House Hotel

I'd booked a rare Monday off work this week for a belated Mother's Day outing, with my Mum (obviously) and my sister. We'd planned a trip to Cirencester for lunch and shopping but, for various reasons, we changed plans and ended up on the hunt to find somewhere to go for lunch. It had to be far enough away to still feel like a treat, but not too far as driving for hours just for lunch seemed a little pointless.

Following The Chap's Birthday Chase Distillery Trip last year, a group of us ended up at Verzon House and had a flippin' lovely dinner. Being in Tewkesbury, it dawned on me that Ledbury was only half an hour away, and considering none of us ever really venture that way, we decided to go.

I always panic when I'm put in charge of choosing where to eat; there's a lot of pressure! Thankfully, I needn't have worried; despite being the only people in there, it was lovely, and the food was just as good as I had remembered.. Though I'm surprised I could remember as I was more than half cut on all those tasty Chase Vodka samples!

A three course lunch at Verzon House is priced at £22, and considering their a la carte mains are around the £17+ mark, I think it's pretty reasonable. There are three options for each; one meat, one fish, one veggie, then a choice of two desserts or cheese.

To start I had a duck and peppercorn tagliatelle. It was deliciously rich, though with such a peppery punch, it wasn't overwhelming; the salty parmesan shavings and nasturtium leaves seemed to lift the whole dish and add a bit of freshness too. I would say though, the portion size was verging on being the size of a main! Good job I was hungry, eh?

My Ma and sister both chose the potted shrimp on toast, and although I didn't try any, their plates looked beautiful, and the addition of samphire was well received!

For mains, my sister had the wild mushroom risotto with chilli butter, whilst my mum went for the pork option; a massive grilled pork chop, presented with a puffed up strip of crackling, charred leeks and wild garlic mash that was piped onto the plate, all doused in a raisin jus. I should have taken a photo as it looked fantastic!

I thought I'd complete the set and go for the mighty fish and chips; haddock in a light but crisp batter, triple cooked chips the size of my arm, crushed peas, and a tangy tartare sauce, packed with piquant capers. All I needed was a beach, a wooden chip fork, and the sound of seagulls.

Despite feeling pretty full - I had to leave some chips, which is almost unheard of - we still thought it'd be rude not to have dessert. The pear and almond tart with clotted cream ice cream would've been my choice had I not just overdone it on pasta and potatoes; pastry might just have killed me off. All three of us then went for the hazelnut panna cotta with a chocolate mousse; no dessert envy, phew!

@WeWantPlates would've had a fit; not only was the panna cotta in a kilner jar, but it was also served on a slate! That aside, I think we made a good decision. An obvious nod to the famous hazelnut chocolate spread that seems to be all the rage at the moment, this was a more grown up, less sweet take.

Thick and creamy, with just a hint of nuttiness, the set panna cotta sat at the bottom of the jar (sometimes they're too much like jelly, which is not very enjoyable), with a milk chocolate mousse layer on top. Normally I'd be "dark chocolate or nothing", but that would've been way too bitter here. As it was, it wasn't overly sweet, and some chopped hazelnuts gave it texture. The little chocolate chip cookie on the side probably wasn't needed, but my coffee was ever so grateful for the dunking it allowed for!

With big windows that let the sunlight stream through into the dining room, Verzon House feels like a restorative and relaxing place to venture to for lunch, particularly with the likes of Ben Howard and Gregory Porter soothing your ears. Two and a half hours passed us by in a flash, and we left feeling like we'd had a grand afternoon out.

My only qualm would be that £2.50 is a princely sum for just a lime and soda - my coffee was the same price (!) - had I known, I'd have gone for a more interesting beverage to have with lunch. Nevertheless, it's still great value food-wise, and I'll definitely visit again... Probably for more Chase Vodka cocktails!