Hampshire's The George and Dragon Wins Two AA Rosettes
The George and Dragon have been celebrating after being awarded two AA Rosettes, marking it out as one of the best local restaurants.
The pub, originally a 16th Century coaching inn, was restored and re-opened four years ago by owner Patrick Vaughan-Fowler and his dedicated team. The sensitive refurbishment was done in conjunction with a historical architectural consultant and restored The George and Dragon to more than its former glory, taking back its place as a modern-day coaching inn with the addition of rooms.
Local, modern, seasonal ingredients are at the heart of the food offering at The George and Dragon. Head chef Sam and his team create new dishes on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, in order to take advantage of produce at its absolute peak as it comes in from the pub’s network of local suppliers. Breads, sauces and an ever-increasing range of staples are made in-house and the team are currently putting the finishing touches to a fermentation chamber so they pickle and preserve produce to extend the range of the seasonal flavours they use.
Alongside the main menu, The George and Dragon takes particular pride in their new 13-dish British Tapas lunch menu that encompasses dishes like Marmite Potatoes with Truffle cream and Pheasant and Chorizo Skewers – made with pheasant from the local shoot, retrieved by the pub dog – though this menu too is ever-changing as the kitchen team continue their creative exploration of the seasons
The seasonally changing locally-sourced ethic runs through the drinks selection too, with the bar listing constantly offering up new craft spirits from interesting British distillers, cocktails which make the most of their unique flavour profiles and wines selected by owner Patrick, using his background in the trade to great effect, to create a list which defies the ordinary to explore the best in lesser-known European wines with something for every taste and pocket. It’s not hard to see why the AA judges were impressed.
Owner Patrick Vaughan-Fowler commented on the Rosette announcement – “We’re absolutely delighted to be the proud owners of two AA Rosettes. Alongside being a real feather in the cap for the pub itself, it highlights the excellent work that the George and Dragon family have put in over the last four years. We set out to do something slightly different and have put all our passion and experience in to creating an offering for everyone, whilst sticking true to using local producers and suppliers and doing our bit for the community.”