The Cricketers Arms at Rickling Green near Saffron Walden

livia Abbott heads down to Rickling Green in Essex to see how The Cricketers Arms is faring under new ownership

The Cricketers Arms at Rickling Green near Saffron Walden

Every village needs its pub – and it seems the villagers at Rickling Green have a rather good one in the Cricketers Arms. The premises were taken over at the beginning of the year by Leanne Langman, who has a pretty impressive record in the catering industry – she was running a restaurant at the tender age of 17. Her acquisition of the Cricketers comes hot on the heels of taking over the Eight Bells in nearby Saffron Walden, which by all accounts has been a very successful venture.

We joined a number of other invitees on a Wednesday night for a tour of the pub and its 10 bedrooms and to partake in a tasting menu created by executive chef Peter Bentley, who also oversees the kitchen at The Eight Bells.

I’m always reassured when arriving at a pub to find there are locals at the bar having a beer. For a village pub to work, it’s got to cater for the villagers who want a friendly place to drink, as well as for the target clientele of discerning foodies, business travellers and holidaymakers on their way to and from nearby Stansted. This, Leanne says, is her aim, with drinkers, diners and families all equally welcome.

The building is 15th-century but in the bar and dining areas, there’s a modern feel with cool blond wood, bright cushions on long banquettes, and comfy armchairs, all sandwiched between a flagstone floor and old oak beams, with big windows looking out over the village green.

Local commitment

We sit down to eat, and plate follows plate of food. We’re presented with grazing boards of charcuterie, fish and Greek mezze; main courses of free-range chicken, a seafood stew, duck breast and rump of lamb; followed by an assiette of desserts.

The house-cured gravadlax on the fish board is done with beetroot, giving it a bright red colour and a sweet, delicate flavour. A dish of belly pork comes with crackling that has a soft, fizzy crunch. The tomato and herbs overwhelm the seafood in the Cioppino a’ Cal Ital’ too much for my taste – but then, I’ve never been a big fan of Italian food.

The team at The Cricketers tell us they are committed to using food that is as local as possible, and seasonal, so the lamb and pork are from Suffolk, chicken is from Norfolk, and the duck is Gressingham.

Fresh and fruity

The assiette of desserts consists of dinky little portions of summer berry jelly, chocolate brownie, sticky toffee pudding and a cappuccino crème brulee. The limpid jelly was delightful – refreshing, sweet and slippery, but was a bit of an odd-one-out among the other much denser, warmer-flavoured puds. The crème brulee was a big hit, and was voted favourite at our end of the table.

We are told that Leanne has a passion for wine and has chosen the pub’s list personally. If the red that is provided to accompany the meal is anything to go by, then that list will be worth exploring – it’s a lovely rich, Spanish red with just a hint of oak. I should have made a note of the name.

As well as the sorts of dishes we were served with, the Cricketers Arms offers pub favourites such as locally produced sausage and mash (with caramelised onions and gravy) for £10.50, beer battered fillet of that day’s fish with chips, tartare sauce and mushy peas for £11.95, and rump steak for £16.50. Starters range from around £5 for soup of the day to £10.50 for a boxed baked Camembert for two to share, and puddings are £5 with cheese and biscuits at £7.50.

So, if you’re in that neck of the woods looking for something to eat, or perhaps considering an overnight stay on the way to or from Stansted, The Cricketers Arms is a good choice.

l The Cricketers Arms, Rickling Green, Stansted, Essex CB11 3YG, 01799 543210, thecricketersarmsricklinggreen.co.uk