The Cricketers

On our recent trip to London, over New Year, we were accompanied by a friend who is a huge fan of Jamie Oliver. Just to knock her socks off, we considered having dinner at Fifteen in London but didn't know if we could fit it in with all the other things we wanted to do. One of the things we did have planned was a drive to the country. We don't usually venture out of London proper when we are there, so we hired a car especially for a short tryst into the country side. The night before, it came to me in a moment of brilliance, that Jamie Oliver had his start at his parent's pub somewhere in the country. A quick google search determined that it was indeed still up and running and by his parents no less. So we decided on a trip to Cambridge with a short stopover for lunch in Clavering, Essex at The Cricketers.

The Cricketers is a cosy, charming pub where you feel like you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere for ages with a good bottle of wine. There is also accommodation if you would like to explore the surrounding area (I think the Maldon salt company is nearby) and stay overnight. We didn't have the luxury of time so we settled for a three course lunch and then we were on our way.

Husband was appointed photographer and was a bit slack it seems as we don't have pictures of all the courses, but you will get the general idea. My sister had a typical pub meal of fish and chips, the fish was cod and very, very good. Our Jamie Oliver fan chose the corn-fed chicken, Husband had the pheasant (not surprisingly, the best photo is of the pheasant) and I ordered the game and Guinness pie. Everything came with your choice of boiled potatoes or chips and cooked vegetables, which were brussels sprouts, spinach and carrots or salad. Phew! In the end, it really was a lot of food! I should add, that we were all very satisfied with our choices.


Here is our Jamie fan, taking her chips very seriously. They were as good as they look. Appropriately, you can see the Jamie magazines in the background.


Husband's delicious pheasant, stuffed with prunes & chestnuts, wrapped in pancetta.


The dessert was delicious. Of course we didn't need it but it was the perfect way to finish off the meal. We shared two desserts between four. See! We aren't excessive!

A lemon tart served with a berry sorbet. Light, zingy & worked really well after the rich meal


And this, not a great shot but let me assure you it was absolute divine dark chocolate heaven! Served with a dollop of creme fraiche, the flavour will never leave me. I will try to scout out the recipe - it was so subliminal it affected my memory. I have no idea what it was called on the menu.


I'd recommend this place to all foodies, whether or not you are a fan of Jamie. Although if you are a fan, signed copies of his latest cookbook were available when we were there. The menu is seasonal, but you can get an idea of it here on their website thecricketers.co.uk