Looking for a romantic spot for Valentine’s? How about the family-run King’s Head at Bawburgh near Norwich which is rapidly gaining a reputation for good food in tasty surroundings. Sarah Hardy meets the owner, Anton Wimmer, and talks wine, women and song. Photographs: Simon Finlay.

It’s well known that the King’s Head at Bawburgh – that pretty village just off the southern bypass – has one high profile fan.
Television’s Trisha is a regular at this 17th century inn which is definitely becoming one of our best gastro pubs.

Scallops wrapped in Salmon with a Caesar Salad and Cucumber Relish.

It’s easy to see why. The setting is charming, right in the heart of an unspoiled village with the river flowing gently past the front door, and the actual building is full of character with low beams, open log fires, inglenook fireplaces, pamment floors and those vital nooks and crannies.

Then there’s the food. Under the direction of head chef Michael Hunt, who’s worked at the pub for four years, the food is forward looking with an accent on freshness and local produce.

Dishes range from a hearty steak and kidney pudding to scallop Thai curry with jasmine rice, spicy coated calamari, guacamole, tomato salsa and coriander leaf salad. And how about a lemon and lime tart with raspberry and champagne jelly!

Around 80 diners can be catered for, 40 in the restaurant and another 40 in one of two bars and in the better weather, you can also eat outside.

“We change the menu every month and everything is made here, all the sauces, stocks and bread,” says owner Anton Wimmer. “We’re just casual and welcoming – not fancy, people know that they’ll have a good time here.”

The key to the pub’s success must be Anton himself. The 31-year-old who has a two-year-old daughter, Anja, with Dutch wife, Ted (pronounced Tet), was practically born into the business.

Venison with Roast Baby Potatoes, Red Onion Marmalade and Thyme Jus.

His father, Tony, bought the pub about 18 years ago and his mother, Pamela, developed the food side.

When my father died, I had to decide if I wanted to take over so I spent a year in Amsterdam, working for a leading hotel, where I really learned the business.”

Thus, about six years ago when just in his early twenties, Anton took over responsibility for the pub and has worked hard to develop it, especially the food side.

He says: “You have to keep going, keep on working. We’ve just refurbished the restaurant, making it lighter and just more modern looking, and I want to work on one of the bars – put in leather sofas, coffee tables, newspapers – so people can sit and relax over a drink.

“You do, of course, have to balance your books. Obviously the new hospital has helped us and we’re in a good spot. We’re hopefully thinking of opening some bedrooms at some point as we have a lot of space here – and offering offices out for rent.”

Here head chef Michael Hunt, who trained at City College, Norwich, and has worked at leading Norwich restaurants such as Adlards and the Aquarium, prepares a three-course Valentine’s meal which you can either enjoy at the King’s Head or attempt yourself.

Scallops wrapped in Salmon with a Caesar Salad
and Cucumber Relish

Take a strip of salmon (de-scaled) wrap around a fresh scallop, held in place with a cocktail stick. Take one baby gem lettuce, washed and mix through the Caesar salad dressing.

Caesar salad Dressing
½pt of mayonnaise (we make our own)
add English mustard powder (1tsp)
4 anchovy fillets finely chopped
2 splashes of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp of Worcester sauce
2oz finely grated Red Reggiano Parmesan cheese.

Mix all these ingredients together.

Cucumber Relish
Finely dice one small onion and warm in a pan with 100ml white wine vinegar and 100gm white sugar. When softened add half a finely diced deseeded cucumber. Take off the heat and allow to cool

Pan-fry the salmon
Pan-fry the salmon in a medium heat pan with olive oil and butter until brown on one side. Turn over and cook for a further two minutes. Allow to rest.

Assemble the dish
Neatly arrange the dressed leaves in the middle of the plate. Put the salmon on top of the leaves. Arrange the relish around the edge of the plate and finish with fresh Parmesan shavings.

Venison with Roast Baby Potatoes,
Red Onion Marmalade and Thyme Jus

Red onion marmalade
Finely chop four red onions. Add to the pan with half a bottle of good red wine and two glasses of port. Reduce until nearly dry, then add one jar redcurrant jelly.
Keep on the heat until the mixture has dissolved. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast Potatoes
Take good quality baby potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. Remove the skin while still hot (careful not to burn yourself), then add to a medium hot pan with beef dripping and sea salt, colour all over. Place in hot oven for five to 10 minutes, or until cooked.

Venison and thyme jus
½btl Madiera, and reduce by one third. Take half a pint of fresh reduced venison stock and add half a bunch of thyme. Reduce by half, season and pass through a fine sieve.

Venison
Take one venison loin fillet (6oz), season with sea salt and white pepper. Put in a hot pan with beef dripping, colour on all sides and seal all ends. Put in a hot oven, for five to eight minutes. This will cook medium-rare. (Any more and the dish will be spoiled.)

Saffron and White Wine poached Pears with Hazelnut Shortbread and a Blackcurrant Mousse

Poached Pears
8 pears (peeled & cored)
pinch saffron
2 vanilla pods
bottle white wine
20gms water
3 cinnamon sticks

Peel and core the pears
Add the pears to all ingredients in a pan.
Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the pears begin to soften. Take off the heat and allow to cool in the liquid.

Hazelnut Shortbread
200 g butter
100g caster sugar
300g flour
100g ground hazelnuts
50g ground almonds
2 egg yolks

Mix the sugar, butter and flour
Put the sugar, butter and flour in a food mixer and mix to a consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

Make the dough
Add the almonds, hazelnuts and eggs and mix until a smooth dough is formed (do not over mix).

Rest the dough
Wrap the dough in clingfilm and rest for one hour in the fridge.

Roll out the dough
Roll out the dough 5mms thick, then cut with a pastry cutter and put on greased baking tray.

Bake the dough
Rest for one further hour in the fridge then
bake in the middle shelf of the oven at 180C for 10 to 12 minutes.

Blackcurrant Mousse
500m blackcurrant purée
1 carton blackcurrant coulis
½litre double cream
8 gelatine strips
200g icing sugar
vanilla pod

Soften the gelatine
Soften the gelatine in 100ml of double
cream, then put the split vanilla pod into a bowl with the blackcurrant purée and the icing sugar.
When the gelatine has softened, warm until melted in the cream.

Add to the bowl
Whisk the remaining cream in a separate bowl until three-quarters whipped and fold the cream into the main ingredients. Put into moulds and chill for six hours.

• The King’s Head, Hart’s Lane, Bawburgh, near Norwich, telephone 01603 744977. website: www.kingshead-bawburgh.co.uk.
  Food is served at the King’s Head seven days a week, from 12pm to 2pm on Monday to Saturday and from 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Sunday and then from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.