The Dog & Doublet, Sandon
The summer months are finally here and if like me you enjoy a good evening in a pub to while away those light warm nights, then you really can't go wrong with The Dog & Doublet Inn, at Sandon, Staffordshire.
The summer months are finally here and if like me you enjoy a good evening in a pub to while away those light warm nights, then you really can't go wrong with The Dog & Doublet Inn, at Sandon, Staffordshire.
Set slightly back from the main A51, the pub is in one of the best locations to de-stress after a hard day in the office with gorgeous countryside surrounding the building and delicious food to match.
It has both a traditional two-course carvery with all the trimmings for a surprisingly good value £7.95 or a full restaurant menu with an impressive array of dishes.
The carvery is exactly what you would expect while the restaurant menu throws up a few surprises with warmed mackeral starters alongside the more common prawn cocktails.
For the main course there is an excellent choice from the usual fillet steaks and beef burgers to the Japanese chicken and cajun pork.
It couldn't be easier to find The Dog & Doublet which stands behind a small village green in the centre of Sandon. There is no need to worry about car parking either as there is a large open area providing a number of spaces.
As soon as I stepped out of the car my partner and I instantly realised we were far from the madness of the town and were in for a pleasant evening.
The pub, which underwent a major refurbishment costing £300,000 in 2004, has been transformed by the current family owners into a stylish and well-presented venue.
Walking towards the entrance the first feature to catch your eye is an interesting glass fronted archway where diners can sit and enjoy their meals whilst looking out toward the cricket ground just over the road.
With my nose following the smell of hot food we entered into the pub itself and were immediately welcomed by a waitress who, with a smile, directed us to our seats.
The polite members staff at The Dog & Doublet are enough to put the pub above many of its competitors before you even consider what is no doubt a top menu.
I went for the duck and stir fry vegetable wrap, £4.25, which was drizzled with hoi sin sauce to start.
It was well-presented and just at the right temperature.
My partner tried the homemade vegetable soup, £2.95, and was equally impressed with its thick consistency making us remark: "That's how soup should be made."
For the main course I had to try the fillet steak with all the trimmings -Êand what a steak it was.
It was cooked beautifully and, as the menu suggested, it really did melt wonderfully in the mouth. At £15.95 was a touch expensive but it was worth the money.
What really impressed me was the cooked tomato which was perfectly grilled and sliced open, a key attention to detail which is increasingly missed by restaurants.
My partner tried the pork and leek sausages with mashed potato and gravy, £7.95, and was bowled over by the taste of the meat coupled with perfect mashed potato drenched in tasty gravy.
For dessert the treats continued with ice cream made at Amerton Farm along with a selection of hot alternatives including a deeply tempting chocolate fudge cake. Overall the food was of a high standard, reasonably priced and definitely filling. Following the meals, we enjoyed the atmosphere of the pub sitting both in the rear garden area and outside the pub entrance where there are a number of benches for the sun-loving drinker.
Here we washed down our waist-bulging feast with two filter coffees and the usual chocolate mint which rounded off our experience perfectly.
Overall, The Dog & Doublet scores well in almost every category, the staff were pleasant, the food was delightful and the location was perfect. This summer make sure The Dog & Doublet is on your list of places to visit - it is on mine.
Shaun Lintern
On the A51
Sandon, Staffordshire
Tel: 01889 508331
