The Chandos Arms in Weston Turville was first established in 1842 by Sir William Milman, a barrister and 3rd Baronet. Changing hands four times over the past hundred years or so, it re-opened its doors at the end of January 2014 when Chris and Carmel became the exciting new owners. The food menu is packed full of local produce and is freshly prepared in the kitchen, with a large car park, free wifi, a beer garden, darts board, real ales, restaurant dining and catering for private functions. A beautifully historic building with exposed beams, wooden floors, quirky cubby holes, open fireplaces and a neutral colour palette, surrounded lovingly by a white picket fence.
The Chandos Arms Weston Turville
I dined from the Sunday Carvery with the three course vegetarian option for which the menu is concise yet well thought out, catering for the traditional Sunday diner. To start with I had the soup of the day served with a crusty bread roll, the soup was asparagus and the roll was an oven baked mini-baguette with a little pack of butter wrapped in foil. I adore asparagus soup and it certainly didn’t disappoint as it was a deliciously flavoursome, thick and green with a sprig of fresh asparagus on top as a garnish. It was just like my Grandmother makes, homely, wholesome and heartfelt and left me licking my lips for more.
For my main I had the vegetarian roast, which I had to inform the waiter of prior to being served so that they could prepare the nut roast and vegetarian gravy to order. When my veggie pieces were ready around quarter of an hour later I was led by the waiter to the carvery where trays of vegetables, meats, gravy and sauces were set out and a chef present to cut and serve them to the plate. Obviously I didn’t have the meats, but was able to fill my plate with every vegetarian option available which were roast potatoes, carrots, stuffing, cauliflower cheese, roasted swede and a Yorkshire pudding to accompany my two nut roasts and jug of vegetarian gravy. There was cabbage available but unfortunately it contained bacon so I wasn’t able to have any greens with my roast.
The roast was a very generous size indeed and again tasted like a home cooked family meal, the potatoes were lovely and scrumpy, the Yorkshire pudding big and fluffy and the cauliflower cheese soft and creamy. The nut roasts were very similar to the frozen variety that I have at home from the supermarket with shredded carrot and peanuts and were a delightful accompaniment to the meal. It was a lovely touch to have two nut roasts and a jug of vegetarian gravy, as a lot of restaurants make their gravy with beef stock as their only option and provide no vegetarian alternative to the meats so I would usually have to go without on both parts. The roast was certainly filling and very satisfying, although as a vegetarian it would have been nice to have had something green on my plate, perhaps some peas, cabbage, greens or sprouts, although I realise that a restaurant must cater to demand, and if it’s not something that the majority regularly eat, and therefore gets wasted, then it makes sense not to freshly prepare every vegetable under the sun. You can’t please all of the people all of the time can you, but I was very happy with the plate that I received and didn’t leave so much as a morsel behind.
For dessert I had the homemade apple crumble with custard, which when it arrived was bright red and filled with cherries, a little unexpected but still mouth-wateringly moreish. The fruit was soft, sweet and succulent with a crumbly, crunchy, toasted and free-poured crumble topping, just the way I like it. And my jug of thick sweet custard was drained dry as I poured it over the fruit and ooh’d and ahh’d with every enthusiastic mouthful. Not surprisingly the homemade crumble tasted delightfully homemade and was absolutely divine, the perfect end to a lovely meal.
If you’re looking for home cooked family charm then the Chandos Arms is certainly the place to go for a Sunday carvery. The food is wholesome, locally sourced and with generously sized portions, exactly how Grandma would make it, with a charmingly cosy rustic interior to while the hours away on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The Sunday Carvery is available between 12:00-5:00pm costing £9.95 for 1 Course, £12.95 2 Courses and £15.95 for 3 Courses with children eating for half the price.
The Chandos Arms is located at: 1 Main Street, Weston Turville, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 5RR
01296 613532
Facebook: /TheChandosArms
Twitter: @thechandosarms
