Sculthorpe Mill

good quality, good value cooking

An 18th-century stone-built watermill not far from Fakenham on the river Wensum, Sculthorpe has been reborn as a modern-day pub with rooms in the capable hands of sister act Caitriona and Siobhan Peyton. It's a smart pick for an outdoor summer lunch, but makes an equally appealing impression indoors, too, where a whole bundle of dining spaces, upstairs and down, look freshly minted in shades of yellow, blue, green and red. Chef Dominic Aslett's food is unapologetically hearty, starting perhaps with potted duck, served with pickled cherries and toasted walnut bread, or grilled local asparagus in truffled mayo with a precision-timed soft-boiled egg. The chef also keeps a watchful eye on the clock when it comes to premium rump steak, which arrives with darkly fried chips, a little béarnaise (no refill, disappointingly) and ranch-dressed gem leaves, while our crisp-skinned Norfolk Black chicken breast in spring vegetable broth (broad beans and peas) was good and tasty – even if its relish of tarragon aïoli dissolved into the broth so quickly, we thought we might have imagined it. Fish could be sea trout with wild garlic hollandaise, or roast cod with orzo and chilli, while the show-stopping sharing dishes might take in lamb shoulder with braised haricot beans and fennel. To finish, there might be tarte tatin, or creamy rhubarb and elderflower trifle scattered with toasted almonds. And speaking of rhubarb, some of its distinctive flavour found its way happily into our Negroni. Wines are an enterprising, well-chosen bunch at mostly manageable prices, and there is London-brewed Lucky Saint IPA on tap, for the alcohol free brigade.