Sunday Lunch at the New Lowndes Arms, Whaddon

Is there anything better than going out for Sunday lunch? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind cooking but a roast dinner always tastes better when you’ve not had to cook it. We visited the New Lowndes Arms in Whaddon for the first time the other weekend and it was sort of a meal to celebrate our birthdays (rather belatedly), as well as the fact I’d got a new job and maybe even Valentine’s thrown in! In short, it’s a lovely pub/restaurant.

The 15^th century building isn’t just a pub, but also houses nine bedrooms, all with en suites. It was all about the restaurant for us – traditional, cosy and simply perfect for a family lunch. We had a large table and a highchair was provided for Alfie (although it was unlike any highchair I’d seen before and part of me wondered whether it too was from the 15^th century!). He was asleep as we arrived, so the chair must have been comfortable... even if he was a bit slumped.

We ordered drinks at the bar on arrival, before being shown to our table. The waitress brought the menus over, which were on blackboards: one was the a la carte option with starters and main courses; the other had the roast dinners and vegetarian options. We both knew we’d have roast dinners and we were given the choice of lamb, pork or beef (the vegetarian option was halloumi). Ash ordered lamb (his favourite) and I went for the pork (my favourite). There was plenty of meat and the dinners came with roast potatoes, a selection of vegetables and a gorgeous homemade Yorkshire. In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than an establishment that serves up shop-bought or frozen Yorkies! Ash asked for some mint sauce to accompany his meat, but I already had apple sauce.

Although the pub serves up child portions of the roast dinners, or you can order something like chicken goujons, we decided to order Alfie a starter. Ash chose the sausage meat & bacon potato cake, which was a massive hit! He wasn’t so keen on the apple sauce (all the more for me!) or the bed of rocket that the cake was sat on, which he pulled out of his mouth on several occasions. He ate it all though, and then wanted some of our dinners too!

Dessert is always a must and the blackboard arrived with a selection of homemade puddings, as well as a choice of ice creams and sorbets. While there weren’t too many options, they were all strong and I struggled to decide what to go for. I eventually settled on the blueberry & white chocolate bread & butter pudding, with custard. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too sweet, but it was to die for – if truth be told, bread & butter pudding is one of my dessert guilty pleasures and one that I must indulge in more. Ash loves lemon desserts so of course he went for the lemon tart, with lemon sorbet. It really was delicious – the pastry clearly homemade and so crisp; the filling rich and lemony; and there was even a brûlée-style top for added crunch. I wish I’d taken more than a small spoonful. If I was being ultra-picky, as good as the desserts were, I don’t think they justified the £6.95 price tag. We even let Alfie have a dessert, ordering a single scoop of strawberry ice cream. I’m not sure what he liked more, the dessert or the cold metal bowl and spoon! When the waitress came to clear our table, he held onto them for his life.

When she did finally manage to take them away, he started to get bored and wanted to get down from the highchair to explore. That settled it for us – Ash went to the bar to pay the bill and we made our getaway! I can’t believe we’ve lived here for 15 months and only just come across the New Lowndes Arms – it’s perfect for a family meal, so I’m sure we’ll return.

Love, Lucy xx

The New Lowndes Arms - 4 High Street, Whaddon, Milton Keynes MK17 0NA
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