| Ambiance: |  (4 / 5) |
| Service: | (3.5 / 5) |
| Value for money: | (4 / 5) |
| Toilet: | (3.5 / 5) |
Since discovering it over two years ago, the Pot Kiln has remained one of my favourite pubs that I’ve ever been to. Located in the middle of nowhere, with no signs to indicate its location, it will forever be one of my greatest discoveries. Following a trip to see Theodore (as he’s now in Newbury), I decided Friday evening was an ideal opportunity to take a quick detour via the Pot Kiln to see if it still held its strong appeal. The first issue we had was lack of direction. My phone had next to no battery and the GPRS in the middle of the countryside wasn’t the strongest. Luckily, we ended up finding it – driving over a mile up a winding path deep into depths of the Berkshire countryside, passing woods and fields of cows and horses. We made it, to find, to my surprise, it pretty empty so we decided to go for a quick walk to work up an appetite.
Venison Scotch Egg
We arrived back at the Pot Kiln at 7pm to find a few more people sitting outside, enjoying the warm summer evening. We were deliberating eating inside, in its cosy a la carte restaurant but the weather seemed too nice to waste being spent indoors. It’s a shame the pub doesn’t offer the same menu outside as I do believe they’d make a lot more revenue, especially in the summer. I had a lovely chilled glass of Sauvingnon Blanc and we ordered off the reasonably limited pub menu, although I was happy to see a couple of additions on it. Despite this, I stuck with what I knew and ordered the Pot Kiln’s famous venison scotch egg but experimented with the muntjack kebabs (local deer) and a Greek Salad. Everything was pretty tasty – the salad looked colourful and delicious and the kebabs looked like an interesting addition to the menu. However, on taste the kebabs, as you may expect given that deer is a very lean meat, were a little dry. Also, the service has been better on past visits.
Munjab Kebabs
Although only having a couple of nibbles and a drink, I left with the same love as I’d had before for the Pot Kiln. I look forward to another visit, however, may choose a rainier today so I can eat in the restaurant, guilt free.
Recommendation
If you’re in the area and have a car, I’d definitely recommend taking a trip to the Pot Kiln. Order the scotch egg and try some of the local ale (if you like beer of course!)
Extra Information:
Address: Frilsham, Yattendon, West Berkshire RG18 0XX
Website: http://www.potkiln.org/
Phone: 01635 201366
NTK: If you’d like to eat in the a la carte restaurant, make sure you book in advance. Also, make sure you have a map/directions before you set off!
