Last Saturday evening we had a very rare child-free evening and headed to The Hatton Arms in Warwickshire to check out their refurb and new menu. We’d visited the grounds of The Hatton Arms many times during the summer months (the beer garden is amazing and is visited by pretty much all of Warwickshire on a hot summer’s day). But we’d not yet eaten inside and was keen to see how it fared from a gluten-free perspective.
Disclaimer: unpaid ad-We were provided for a meal in exchange for a review here on the blog.
Gluten-free starters at the Hatton Arms
Gluten-free starters are often pretty limited so I was pleased to see so many options on the menu: from welsh rarebit to mackerel and air-dried beef. I opted for devon crab and avocado toast (£7.95) which wasn’t labeled gluten-free but was made gluten-free with the bread swap after chatting to the waiter.
This was exceptional and definitely my favourite dish of the night. I’m not sure if the bread was homemade or store-bought but it certainly tasted nicer than my regular supermarket loaf. It was topped with a generous helping of avocado, crab and salsa; perfectly complimented with zingy balsamic vinegar.
It was so nice to have something different than the usual starter options (aka soup) and I ate every bite. Definitely my favourite course of the night.
Gluten-free main courses at the Hatton Arms
There were also quite a few options for gluten-free mains at The Hatton Arms -such as lentil shepherds pie, trout risotto, and venison. They didn’t have gluten-free versions of classic dishes; like burgers or pies (the latter of which my husband had and said was exceptional).
I went for the rump steak (£21.50). The chunky chips, which are cooked in a separate fryer and are gluten-free, were super crispy with a fluffy inside. They were some of the nicest chips I’ve had since being gluten-free.
I’d ordered the steak well done which, admittedly, was a mistake. It still tasted great-and the quality of the Oxfordshire beef shone through- but was a tiny bit tough but again, that’s my fault for not ordering it a little rarer.
Gluten-free desserts at the Hatton Arms
Other than me not ordering my steak differently, I couldn’t fault the starters and mains, but sadly the deserts weren’t quite up to par. There’s not a huge selection: brownies if you’re gluten-free and sorbets if you’re also dairy-free.
I know gluten-free folk roll their eyes at yet another brownie but I did have a bite (I don’t have much dairy but my husband ordered it and I decided to give it a try) and it was truly delicious: very rich, indulgent and chocolatey and my gluten-eating husband was equally impressed. It might not be the most original gluten-free dessert but it will satisfy any chocoholic!
I’d ordered the lemon and mango sorbet as, to be honest, I was quite full after my starter and mains and just wanted something light.
Unfortunately, my dessert was brought over with a wafer in the middle of it which contained gluten.
If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ll know I don’t always have the best luck eating out. But, unfortunately, when you eat out with an allergy you take the risk these things can happen and the measure is in the way the restaurant responds. There’s no doubt these situations are frustrating but all I ever want is for restaurants to take accountability and reassure me it won’t happen again.
Thankfully, both the waiter (who had put the order in as gluten-free but it wasn’t read by the kitchen) and the manager rectified the situation immediately, took it seriously and were very apologetic. It was frustrating as I felt in really safe hands with the knowledgable waiter but, at the same time, it was rectified and I didn’t get ill.
Verdict
Will we return to the Hatton Arms again? Absolutely. I have no doubt we’ll back again in the summer-hopefully with dog and baby in tow-and I’d be happy to eat there again, feeling confident I’m catered for
The dessert situation was frustrating as I was so confident and impressed with the measures The Hatton Arms had taken and the quality of the food. Whilst I’m satisfied it was dealt with properly and would be confident in eating there again, I would just provide a note of warning to coeliacs to (as we always do) check and check again if you’re unsure.
