Review: The Pointer - Church Street, Brill

There are so many nice things to say about The Pointer, in Brill, so many unusual features to its mode of operation, that it’s hard to know where to begin. So – seizing a metaphorical pin from my pocket – I’ll plunge in with the name.

Traditionalists who like to complain about such things will hardly take kindly to the fact that a pub known to generations as the Red Lion has been revamped and rebranded to commemorate a breed of dog, one of which is most handsomely depicted on the sign by Robert Clarke, whose animal artwork is also well represented throughout the stylish interior.

But they can gruntfuttock all they like. Owners David and Fiona Howden have an answer to them: The Pointer was, in fact, the original name of the pub, an ancient building that dates back to the 13th century. It was renamed following some regal edict that a village pub closest to the church, as this one is, should be a Red Lion.

Brewery-owned for many years, the place ended up in the perhaps less-than-tender care of Greene King, who in 2012 put it on the market. Foodies both, the Howdens, who live and farm in nearby Ludgershall, had been thinking for some time of investing in a pub; not least to provide an outlet for some of the meat from their Long Horn cattle and rare breed pigs. The For Sale sign on the place in 2012 was not to be resisted.

With deepish pockets from his day job as boss of an international firm of insurance brokers, David was able to have the building renovated to a very high standard, with Fiona’s talent for design reflected throughout. Butcher (and farmer) John Wilkins has a splendidly restored shop, run as part of the business, at the rear.

How very different it all looks today from the smoky boozer I used to patronise 40 years ago, at the end of Sunday afternoon walks from Stanton St John (passing David’s childhood home in Worminghall). No question of walking back, of course; a phone call home summoned the necessary lift.

Visiting the Pointer three weeks ago, I was to have courteous chauffeuring again when our guests Gerald and Clico Kingsbury, who live nearby, offered to collect Rosemarie and me from the James Figg in Thame, whither we travelled by 280 bus. Curiously, a 111 to Brill was about to leave from Thame Town Hall as we arrived. But this service can’t be relied upon for evening visitors to the Pointer, since there is no bus back again.

We’d been warned that the arrival of a big party at 8pm meant we should get cracking. So it was straight to the restaurant, where first sips of a South African chenin blanc (The War Horse) was a lively accompaniment to study of the menu.

We chose different dishes to sample the widest variety of what is supplied by Minesh Patel, a chef of impressive pedigree recruited earlier this year.

First there was the pleasant surprise of an amuse bouche for all in the shape of cream of cauliflower soup with a cauliflower pakora, coriander and curry oil. A selection of excellent bread came with unsalted and beef butter, the second of which – featuring dripping and Bovril – all judged to die for (probably literally).

My starter was an inspired combination of grilled Cornish squid and quinoa dyed black with the ink, charred baby leek, sweet lemon and paprika aioli. You’ll note how Minesh mixes things, to great effect. The same was true of my main course of rare breed middle white pork loin (from the family farm) with mustard and prune sausage roll, savoy cabbage with bacon, creamed maris pipers, carrots, fermented apple and scrumpy gravy. Phew!

Clico, after a whipped goat’s cheese and beetroot salad starter, proceeded to fillets of John Dory with pink grapefruit and chicory salad. She said later, concerning all our food: “Although it was deliciously refined, we didn’t need magnifying glasses to see what was on the plate; quite the opposite.

“My John Dory, on its bed of different leaves, was a delightful harbinger of summer and made me feel painlessly healthy. By contrast, the pudding I shared with Rosemarie [warm chocolate fondant with passion fruit sorbet] was beyond wicked, but worth every sinful mouthful and plate scrape.”

Rosemarie had Aylesbury duck liver parfait, followed by English rose veal rump steak with a duck egg and top-class chips. Gerald enjoyed a deliciously unusual starter of crispy cannelloni of Persian spiced lamb, with hummus, apricots, pomegranate and pickled butternut squash, then rump steak (from the Howdens’ Longhorn herd) with béarnaise sauce.

I tackled a quintet of cheeses: Oxford Blue, Oxford Isis, Quickes Mature Farmhouse Cheddar, Ravens Oak goat’s and Shorrocks Lancashire Black Bomb.

We drank, besides The War Horse, a spicy rioja (Tronido Crianza 2010).

This is a seriously good place.

The Pointer 
Church Street, Brill 
01844 238339 thepointerbrill.com

Opening times: Lunch, Tues to Sat, noon-2.30pm; Sun 1-5pm. Dinner, Tues to Thu, 6.30-9pm, Fri and Sat, 6.30-10pm. Kitchen closed Sun night and Mon (pub open 2.30-10-30pm Mon, noon-10.30pm Sun). The Butcher’s Shop: Wed to Fri, 2.30-6.30pm; Sat, 9am-2pm.
Key personnel: Owners David and Fiona Howden, manager Ester Gill, chef Minesh Patel.
Make sure you try the... grilled Cornish squid (£8), crispy cannelloni of Persian spiced lamb (£7), goat’s cheese and beetroot salad (£6), fillets of John Dory (£20), Longhorn beef rump steak (£19), English rose veal rump steak (£18), hot chocolate fondant with passion fruit sorbet (£7).
In ten words: Enjoy great food in generous portions, served at stylish village local.