Essex


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown-nbsp">THE LOWDOWN&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="764" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.18.30.png" alt="The outside of the Cricketer's Pub in Clavering " class="wp-image-15091" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.18.30.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.18.30-800x611.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.18.30-768x587.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.18.30-687x525.png 687w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The closer I got to <a href="https://www.thecricketers.co.uk">The Cricketers</a> pub in the village of Clavering, near Saffron Walden, the narrower and darker the roads became. It was a winter’s evening and, despite setting off in what I thought was good time, progress was slow. I was due to dine there with my friend Jess and our 7pm booking was starting to look more like a ‘please forgive our lateness’ 7.30pm slot.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Then suddenly it appeared through the darkness, a picturesque, glowing inn that looked straight out of Xmas movie <em>The Holiday </em>&#8211; I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Jude Law and Cameron Diaz propping up the bar through the frosted windows. Talking of celebs, The Cricketers used to be owned by TV chef Jamie Oliver’s parents. They sold up in 2020 (after 44 years), but it still has a reputation as a foodie hot spot and I couldn&#8217;t wait to try it out.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="681" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.20.28.png" alt="Glasses on wine at The Cricketers in Clavering " class="wp-image-15093" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.20.28.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.20.28-800x545.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.20.28-768x523.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.20.28-771x525.png 771w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Thankfully, the interior matches the chocolate box exterior. Despite a no-show from Jude and Cameron, we were delighted to see beamed ceilings, wood furniture, a roaring fire and cosy nooks. A recent refurbishment took inspiration from the building’s 16th Century origins, and it&#8217;s created an instantly warm, friendly vibe &#8211; this is the kind of place you peel off outer layers, sink into a banquette and stay for hours, chatting over a glass of Pinot Noir by the fire.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-amp-quaff">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="975" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17-975x1000.png" alt="Garden Mezze sharing board at the Cricketers in Clavering " class="wp-image-15085" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17-975x1000.png 975w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17-780x800.png 780w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17-768x788.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17-512x525.png 512w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.08.17.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 975px) 100vw, 975px" /></figure>



<p>It’s all about the food here. To kick things off, we couldn’t decide between a sharing board or a traditional starter &#8211; the choices included delish sounding dishes like ham hock and mustard terrine, sun blushed tomato and mozzarella arancini or smoked chalk stream trout. Ten minutes of negotiations later, we plumped for a Garden Mezze sharing board because it included the arancini and sounded too delicious to pass over. We knew we&#8217;d chosen well when a plate loaded with glistening olives, Lebanese flat bread, marinated feta, hummus and jalapeño peppers arrived, which we made swift work of.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Mains are split into ‘mains’ and ‘classics’, and both sounded equally delicious and packed full of seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. How to choose between pan roasted hake fillet, braised Ox cheek, Cricketers homemade game pie or slow roasted Gressingham duck leg?&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="753" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT-753x1000.jpg" alt="Steak and fries at the Cricketers in Clavering " class="wp-image-15087" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT-753x1000.jpg 753w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT-602x800.jpg 602w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT-395x525.jpg 395w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_204708768-1.PORTRAIT.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></figure>



<p>In the end, my friend opted for a dish off the ‘mains’ menu (caramelised shallot tarte tatin, “because I’d never make this at home’), while I went for a classic flat iron steak with roasted plum tomato, shallots, rocket parmesan salad, hand-cut chips and peppercorn sauce, which I would make at home, but had a hunch this would be far better. A hunch that proved correct, particularly the perfectly cooked medium-rare steak and chunky fries &#8211; a moreish combination of crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="753" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL-753x1000.jpg" alt="Lemon posset at The Cricketers in Clavering " class="wp-image-15088" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL-753x1000.jpg 753w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL-602x800.jpg 602w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL-395x525.jpg 395w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/thumbnail_PXL_20231130_212122288.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 753px) 100vw, 753px" /></figure>



<p>We didn’t have room for a dessert each, but decided it was necessary to sample at least one pudding (purely in the name of research you understand), so negotiated again before ordering a lemon posset with shortbread and two spoons. The little white bowl of delight that appeared contained a creamy, gooey, citrusy concoction that lasted seconds. Clearly we had underestimated the appetite of our second (dessert) stomach.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A word of mention for the wine menu, which was extraordinarily and unexpectedly long &#8211; clearly someone at the pub’s a wine buff. Great to see East Anglian wine on the list, including a Rosé Brut from Saffron Grange in Essex. I opted for a glass of Pinto Noir Riviera from Southern France (excellent), but had the choice of more than 30 others, including ‘richer, fuller or oaked reds’, ‘spicy and bold reds’ and ‘fruity, medium bodied reds’.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-amp-about">OUT &amp; ABOUT </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="671" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.12.21.png" alt="Bedroom at The Cricketers pub in Clavering " class="wp-image-15089" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.12.21.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.12.21-800x537.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.12.21-768x515.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.12.21-782x525.png 782w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The Cricketers lies around 15 minutes by car from Saffron Walden, one of Essex’s finest medieval market towns, with pretty Grade II-listed houses in colourful hues, plenty of great places to eat, drink and shop and Audley End House and Gardens for a spin around a 17th Century estate.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The pub also has 22 stylish bedrooms (each named after a cricket ground), as well as a fabulous restaurant and bar, so if you want to make a weekend break of it, stay over.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muddy-verdict">MUDDY VERDICT </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="674" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.06.47.png" alt="Dog by fire at The Cricketers in Clavering " class="wp-image-15084" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.06.47.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.06.47-800x539.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.06.47-768x518.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/essex/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/12/Screenshot-2023-12-11-at-11.06.47-779x525.png 779w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> A great gourmet meal in a cosy, traditional pub setting. This is the sort of place I wish were my local, though my waistline wouldn’t thank me. Also perfect for a weekend break or celebration (the Champagne and sparkling wines menu looked tempting).&nbsp;Next time I&#8217;d like to try Pizza night Wednesday  &#8211; handmade dough, yum toppings and cooked in the pub&#8217;s huge brick pizza oven. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to eat here (kids and even pooches are also given a warm welcome), though I guess if you’re way more into starchy formality than comfy pubs this might not be your thing.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>The damage&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Garden mezzo board, £19.50; caramelised shallot tarte tatin, £18; flat iron steak £26; lemon posset with shortbread, £9. Small glass of Pinot Noir, £7.10. Grand total, £79.60 for two.&nbsp;</p>


Review: The Cricketers in Clavering, Saffron Walden

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