I had been to The Hunter S a few times over the years, but usually for drinks in the summer evenings which largely consisted of standing outside on the footpath and so not really appreciating the decor of the place (it’s full of taxidermy animals mounted on the walls and lovely Victorian themed decor) or the food – I can however vouch for the quality of the liquid side of the menu from those visits! 

So when a good friend of mine suggested a trip there for Sunday lunch on the lure of the infamous Beef Wellington I jumped at the chance.  (Note: For those of you not familiar with Beef Wellington it is traditionally fillet steak slathered with pâté and duxelles (essentially mushroom paste), which is then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Notwithstanding the fact that this is a well known and loved English dish, the origins are not entirely known with some highlighting the strong resemblance to the French  filet de bœuf en croûte (fillet of beef in pastry).)

Needless to say I wasn’t disappointed…the Beef Wellington was cooked to perfection (nice and pink in the middle) and went down ever so nicely with the Beauté Du Sud, the French Malbec we opted for.  The staff were attentive and the place was busy and warm which made for a perfect winter Sunday afternoon outing before biking home in the dark!

If you’re interested in the history of the place, the pub opened in 2012 and is named after the Hunter Stockton Thompson who was an American journalist and writer who died in 2005 and is best known for his works Hell’s Angels and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Following the same theme the owners Seven Eigths also own The Hemingway near Victoria Park which I hear is the best pub in the area! 

Go here for: Sunday roast with the most extensive range of roasts to choose from: corn fed roast chicken, salt marsh lamb, Kilravock pork belly, Scottish beef fillet or nut roast; after work drinks on a summers evening – but we warned it can be packed! 

Top tips: a trip to the bathroom is not to be missed; if you’re going for the Beef Wellington on a Sunday you do need to wait a bit longer for it to be cooked so don’t arrive absolutely starving or alternatively treat yourself to some of the tasty starters before tucking into the main event

Menu highlights: the Beef Wellington (which comes served with a mixed salad, herb rosti and a red wine jus); Scotch egg served with homemade pickles and fresh green salad; pork and fennel croquettes with a saffron and apple sauce; sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream

Price: Beef Wellington (for 2), a couple of starters and a dessert to share and a beaut bottle of Malbec for about £100 all in

#november2016