It had been the perfect day a couple of weeks back when the sun came as a surprise, but there was still that chill in the air. The skies said shades, but the air said keep your coat on! I couldn’t think of a more welcoming site than the Lazy Pig that night. Set against skies turning blue to orange with its pretty festoon lighting and its’ decked veranda I knew that I was home for the night.
Set on the road between Berkhamsted and Chesham, just outside the pretty village of Ashley Green, the Lazy Pig in the Pantry is the latest destination food pub on the block. With new ownership, the pub reopened in March after an extensive restoration project.
From the offset the newly designed interiors impressed. It’s a sizeable space, with wood floors throughout and every inch carefully thought of. There were quirky design features that ranged from tropical walls of greenery to vaulted glazed extensions and vintage finds.
The staff were welcoming and attentive and showed us to our seats and talked us through the menu. Feeling the need for some inner warmth, we chose warming whiskey cocktails and baked camembert to start. Baked camembert is that perennial classic that you know will always provide comfort with fresh wines on sunny days or, in this case, provide that warmth that makes you smile from the inside. It didn’t disappoint and served with both gluten free and regular bread it formed the perfect start to our mid-week meal.
The comfort vibes continued for our mains. A brisket burger with brioche bun and fries, and cauliflower steak with mushroom rarebit and chimichurri sauce and of course the all important fries. The fussy burger eater gave his the big thumbs up and my cauliflower steak was full of satisfying flavours and was the savoury feast I craved.
Could we be done? We should, we absolutely should….but when the dessert menu looks as good as this…well, it would be rude not to, right? There was brownie, there was caramel and hazelnut (that counts for protein right?!) It was something quite sublime and the perfect end to an enjoyable night.
The Lazy Pig is a fantastic new venue with so much potential to be used in different ways. The glazed area with roof and sides that open up into a large decked veranda will make it the perfect summer haunt for those close to Chesham, Berko or Tring. Equally, the warmth of the interiors and the satisfying food will make it an all round pleaser. It bridges the gap between pub/bar and dining perfectly. With both josper grill and pizza oven it will definitely suit most appetites, making it both a great place to meet up for a drink as well as a varied and reliable choice for dinner. Of course I know you’ll all be be ‘gramming those interiors!
thelazypiginthepantry.com