It might be rural Notts but the new owner of a closed down pub is going for a Mediterranean vibe. The pub in question used to be known as the Crown, then it became Indian restaurant Gurkha One and up until last year it was a gastro pub called the Dapper Spaniel.
Based it Rolleston, the pub's new name is The Vinery, inspired by a grapevine growing by the car park entrance, just off Staythorpe Road. New proprietor Andy Poxon, and his partner Maria Broadbent, who both grew up in Nottinghamshire, have moved back to the East Midlands from Suffolk.
The Mediterranean theme will both be reflected by the food and surroundings - not to mention a glass or two of vino. Andy said: "Maria is the creative one. At the moment the top decking is being painted with real Greek/Moroccan deep blue.
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There will be lanterns and the outside bar will look like a beach bar with white stones, grasses and a mirror like a window with shutters. "It will give people a bit of escapism. I want it to be interesting for people so when they come along they feel like they're on holiday," said Andy.
The undercover garden was added by the previous owners during the pandemic. While the top level is having a makeover, the lower area will remain the same with a pink parasol, lavender pots on the wooden tables and pink clematis interwoven in the trellis.
Maria changes the menu each day depending on what suppliers have to offer. Everything is fresh, seasonal, and cooked from scratch - whether that's pizza or the lamb kleftiko, which falls off the bone after being slow-cooked for eight hours. Served with lemon and oregano potatoes, homemade tzatziki and a Greek salad it's as if diners are in Mykonos, not a few miles off the A614.
Recent dishes have included Bandari cod with Persian rice, a fennel, saffron and lemon risotto with salmon, and tartiflette, an Alpine potato dish with smoked bacon, shallots and Reblochon cheese. "I serve that with mixed charcutiere, cornichons and a baby gem salad that is dressed with proper Dijon mustard French dressing so it tastes just like it would if you had it in France," said Maria, who grew up in Burton Joyce.
Although predominantly Mediterranean, the menu may also feature fajitas or curry. "I lived in Birmingham for a while so I learnt how to do curries properly with all the fresh herbs and spices and I serve that with a cardamom honeyed and almond naan and a Guajarati carrot salad," said Maria.
To start there's halloumi with pomegranate molasses and fresh mint, garlic king prawns, and hummus and flatbread and for afters, fresh fruit pavlova, sticky toffee pudding and churros to dip in chocolate.
A tapas and pizza menu is available on Friday and Saturday from noon to 6pm. The handmade pizzas are strictly Italian so you won't find ham and pineapple. Resting on San Marzano tomatoes (the ones used by all the best pizzerias) are authentic toppings of spicy sausage 'nduja, Parma ham, artichokes, anchovies, capers and olives.
Whether or not to do a traditional Sunday roast is still up for debate, with Maria leaning towards something different, maybe a themed lunch such as paella or a classic Italian sharing feast.
She said: "Some places do it [Sunday roast] really, really well, some places do it cheaply. Some people just want to go out and be fed, other people want to go out and have a nice meal so the whole range is covered in six or seven mile radius. I think I need to do something that's different and that ties in with that whole holiday feel so I think we'll have a Mediterranean tour."
As well as boosting the wine selection for a wine society with monthly events, the pub serves pints of Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Black Sheep bitter, Madri and Somersby sparkling cider. Classic cocktails, made from scratch, include Espresso Martini, Mojito and Dark & Stormy.
Inside the blue wallpaper has vanished from the restaurant and the magnolia walls have been lifted by leafy patterned blinds, gecko wall hangings, decorative screens and olive branches. The toilets have had a makeover. Enter the ladies and it's like a woodland - complete with a recording of bird chirping.
The pub ticked all the boxes for the couple, who wanted to move back to Nottinghamshire to be near family and friends. Before helping out at Maria's restaurant in Suffolk, Andy, who hails from Gedling, worked for Rolls Royce and before that Kodak. "We were working very hard and were a long way away from most of the people we wanted to be around," said Maria.
As the only pub in the village - in fact it's the only commercial enterprise in Rolleston as there's no shops or Post Office - Maria wants The Vinery to be the meeting place for locals, as well as a destination for those living further afield.
"I am chef so I am very much about how lovely the food is but when people ask we say first and foremost it's a village pub - that's its primary purpose. During lockdown we all know how people missed community and missed being around people. I think because this has been shut for nearly 18 months they have really missed having it.
"The locals have been phenomenal. You couldn't have asked for more - we had three different couples in, one was helping Andy put up mirrors and lights, two guys were outside sanding the tables and oiling those, and three of use were cutting back the garden and tying up the vine."
The pub is both dog-friendly and child-friendly, and there's a selection of board games to pass the time. Since opening business has been unpredictable - from twiddling their thumbs on a quiet Saturday lunchtime to a coachload of 29 passengers turning up. "They were queuing around the bar and outside the door," said Andy. "It's difficult to predict especially when you're a start up."
The pub is open Wednesday to Sunday with food available Thursday to Sunday although due to kitchen work The Vinery won't be opening until Friday evening this week. To check opening hours go to thevineryrolleston.co.uk
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