Nothing ever stands still in the carousel land of gastronomy, but then chefs are an itinerant band of miscreants who roam the country pitching up in small villages or cities, kitchen knives in hand, recipes at the ready, itching to get cooking.

And just when you get used to them, they’re off again, knapsack on shoulder, chefs whites packed, ready to ply their wares elsewhere, their restless energy creating magic somewhere else.

Which makes this job difficult because, having reviewed somewhere and raved about it from the rooftops, a few months down the line people will stop me, shake their heads and tell me that their experience wasn’t nearly as good as mine, and on further examination I discover it’s because the head chef has moved on, taking with them the restaurant’s reputation.

Which is why my heart sank when I heard that how Lidia Dhorne manager at the wonderful Killingworth Castle and head chef and partner Phil Currie, had moved onto The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis (I had no idea where that was either) because they both fancied a change. Luckily The Killy has survived their departure intact under the helm of the brilliant new head chef Dan Watkins.

She was my favourite front-of-house in the world (the French know how to do it properly with just that right amount of warmth, humour, interest and utter professionalism) and Phil’s food led me to award The Killingworth Castle, the Oxford Times Restaurant of the Year in 2014.

So I soon found myself in the little village near Wantage knocking on the pub’s door and asking for sustenance. And as predicted my lunch there was bloody marvellous.

Owners Martyn Reed and Catriona Galbraith took over the roadside hostelry late last year, transforming it into a fresh, light, breezy, cheerful country inn, with a diamond of a chef in the kitchen and a friendly French smile when you walk through the door – a good business plan then.

Currently transforming the rooms above for passing walkers, visitors and tourists, the Greyhound’s transformation should be complete by the end of the month.

But I couldn’t wait that long, so plumped myself down by the fire at a lovely wooden table and chairs and grabbed the menu, instantly reassured when I saw Phil’s wonderful offerings. My friend was equally smitten and plumped for the suitably rustic and seasonal potted rabbit and liver parfait with a carrot and cumin salad (£6.50).

Phil makes a mean soufflé so I instantly opted for his new take on two classics, a twice baked cheddar souffle, smoked haddock chowder (an impossibly reasonable £5.50). How he would combine the two I wasn’t sure but nothing prepared me for the sumptuousness of the dish. The richness of the light fluffy crispy soufflé, the fluffiness of the insides with that sharp tang of cheese, the soft, smokey fish, the neat squares of spud, which actually tasted of potato to the extent cooked al dente, the smooth velvety texture of the leaks, the gentle broth. An absolute blinder of a starter. The rabbit terrine came with a surprisingly tangy piquant Asian salad, a great twist on an otherwise rural dish.

And then the burger, a huge hunking stash of prime mince rammed into a brioche bun with all the necessary accompaniments, that had my friend scratching her chinny-chin-chin for many a minute while she worked out the most ladylike way to eat it. A diner on a nearby table came to her aid, suggesting that if she cut it in two she could then eat it by hand, the prefect compromise. My sweet potato and goats cheese hash brown with pickled wild mushrooms, kale pesto and a mushroom and thyme veloute (£11.50) - silky, delicate, warming, hearty fare. We also tried the leaf fennel salad with onion seeds because it sounded so refreshing and it was, cleanly slicing through the more earthy mains.

But the dessert, where to start? With the fact we wanted everything on the menu but finally plumped for the Drambuie pannacotta with blood orange and oat and honey crumble, the sharp tang of the orange contrasting with the crunch of the honeycomb and the soft give of the creamy, slightly boozy pannacotta, which was so hedonistic I felt like I needed a lie down in a four poster bed afterwards and was the best way to spend £6 ever invented..

But the pear frangipane apple tart on puff pastry with salted caramel ice cream (£7) was worth every second of the 15 minute waiting period, because it was a masterpiece, the almond paste tucked into the layers of the puff pastry.

Let’s just hope Phil and Lidia stay put long enough for you to visit as well.

THE GREYHOUND INN

Main Street, Letcombe Regis, Wantage, Oxfordshire, OX12 9JL

Telephone: 01235 771969

Email: info@thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk

http://www.thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk

Our Opening Times

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday: CLOSED

Wednesday to Saturday: 11:00am to 11:00pm

Sunday: 11:30am to 5:00pm

Lunch is served

Wednesday to Saturday: noon to 2:30pm

Sunday: noon to 3:30pm

Dinner is served

Wednesday and Thursday 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Friday and Saturday 6:00pm to 9:30pm

Try the Sunday lunch menu:

Bread & Olives

Selection of bread, extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic £3.00

Marinated Kalamata and green olives in rosemary, garlic and thyme £3.25

Starters

Soup of the day, see the blackboard £5.00

Potted Stilton, fig jam, chicory, pickled walnuts, water crackers £6.00

Pheasant terrine, apricot and ginger chutney, mushroom toast £6.50

Twice baked cheddar soufflé, smoked haddock chowder £5.50

Chicken livers and slow cooked onions, sourdough, hazelnut cream, parsley salad £6.00

Mains

Roast beef sirloin, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings £15.50

Roast pork loin, crackling, apple sauce and all the trimmings £14.50

Pulled roast lamb shoulder, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings £14.50

Hazelnut, peanut and goats cheese roast, Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings £12.50

Roasted Cod fillet, cockles, root vegetables and kale, cider cream £15.50

Beer battered haddock with mushy peas, tartare sauce, salad and chips £11.50

Desserts

Gingerbread spiced steamed sponge, crushed pear and custard £5.00

Blackberry Bakewell tart, vanilla cream £5.50

Dark Chocolate pot, clementine, golden syrup biscuits £6.00

Home made ice cream £5.50

Selection of artisan cheeses, crackers and chutney £7.50