Sunday Lunch at The Turing Key, Bletchley [invite]

Since we’ve moved into our family home, our estate has been blessed with an Asda, a parade of shops and now, a pub. The Turing Key officially opened its doors on Tuesday 30 April and we were invited to the soft launch on the Sunday before. Our table for three was booked at 1pm and as we were going out afterwards, we took the car.

The pub is a Marstons brewery and its key feature is its rotisserie – so expect plenty of chicken on the menu! There’s also an extensive bar with lots of choice whatever your beverage of preference. If you’re a gin fan, be sure to ask about the special offers and gin passport, though. 

Obviously being so new, everything was immaculate and shiny and it had that homely vibe, which was so welcoming. As welcoming as the atmosphere and setting were, the staff added to it too. They were so friendly from the moment we walked through the door. Our waitress was called Lesley and she was fabulous – making sure Alfie was well-looked after and giving us recommendations. She explained that they’d tried the whole menu earlier that week, so she was definitely in a good position to help us with our menu choices. We even took her up on some of those!

The children’s menu was excellent, in terms of choice and value. There are two options: ‘little chicks’ (£5.99) and ‘big chicks’ (£6.99) which includes three courses and a drink. The courses are individually priced, just in case your little one can’t manage all three (or if you’re like us and pack your toddler’s drink). We just ordered Alfie a main (£3.95) and a pudding (£1.35), as he wouldn’t have eaten any of the starters just yet.

Choosing a main is so simple and there are three stages: choose your main, and two sides (one carb-based and one vegetable). We ordered the Birdseye chicken dippers for Alfie with mash (I still don’t really like him eating chips) and he chose the peas himself (which he didn’t eat, and we should have intervened, ordering beans instead!). The portions are large, particularly for a toddler.

Despite not eating all of his dinner, he managed a dessert and he had a vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce and teddy bear wafers (anyone else remember them from their childhood?!). Of course he ate all of his pudding, as well as previously eating some of our dinners too.

Ash went for the Sunday best, which of course was a roast. There is a choice of meats on offer, as well as the options to choose multiple meats, or larger portions. The Sunday menu is priced at £9.75 for one course, £12.25 for two courses, or £14.75 for three courses and it’s a separate set menu.

He chose the half a rotisserie chicken, which came with a giant Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and a selection of vegetables. He also ordered a side of cauliflower cheese, which was enough to serve two or three! I wish I had tried some, because it’s one of my favourite additions to a roast, but as you’ll find, I ordered too much myself! Despite the amount of food (eyes bigger than belly syndrome), he managed to eat it all and said it was enjoyable, but the Yorkshire was very slightly underdone. He was expecting stuffing, which is actually ordered separately as an additional element, but he wasn’t too fussed.

After much umming and ahhing – there’s seriously too much choice – I went for the 8oz rump steak, medium rare; with chips, mushrooms and rocket salad. I was also expecting a beef tomato wedge. I ordered a peppercorn sauce to accompany my steak (and chips!) and went all-out and ordered a side of two rotisserie wings – just so I could experience that side of things too.

I definitely over-ordered, although the wings were good! The steak was cooked to my liking, but you can’t really get a steak that wrong. I don’t generally order steaks at pubs because they are always kinda average, but I was pleased with my choice.

For pudding, I stole the option from Ash’s menu. There were limited options: apple pie, jam roly poly or ice cream. I went for the jam roly poly, following Lesley’s recommendation and also because it’s something I never rarely have. For me, there wasn’t enough custard so by the end, it was quite dry. In hindsight, I should have just asked for more. It was also so different from how I remembered the pudding as a child – it was more spongy, than that crisp suet style pastry. It was enjoyable, but the main dessert menu is so extensive, I wish I’d ordered from that.

The dessert menu has a mixture of classics and favourites with a twist. If I wasn’t so full, I would have definitely gone for the afternoon tea prosecco sundae – two of my favourite things combined with ice cream. When you read the ingredients, it sounds heavenly, but also oh so devilish! I need to return to try that.... there’s also a delicious-sounding tiramisu rum ba bar and a Sicilian lemon muffin cheesecake, all with my name on!

The meal including drinks (Ash had a pint and I had two of the strawberry spritz gin cocktails) came to about £45 at full-price, which in my opinion is excellent value. For a family meal, it’s ideal and the Turing Key offers that option – particularly if you’re on the estate and don’t fancy taking the car out. I’m sure next time we will walk with the pushchair, whether that’s just for drinks when the weather is less miserable, or another meal. There’s a play area for children, which is a reasonable size and thankfully fenced off, away from the main road. 

I believe at the moment, you’re not able to book a table for more than six, but I imagine once the pub becomes established and the staff used to those busy periods of service, that’ll change.

Thank you Lesley and Simon for having us – we enjoyed our Sunday lunch and will be back soon!

Love, Lucy xx

The Turing Key - Drayton Road, Newton Leys, Milton Keynes MK3 5SQ
Facebook | Instagram

*We were invited to The Turing Key soft launch and consequently, our bill was subsidised. Thoughts and photos are my own