Taverners Pub & Eating House, Godshill
The Best Pub on the Island
The Taverners
Two years on and still no one can match The Taverners and its talented chef-proprietor, Roger Serjent. His cooking has made him a local food hero - and the fisherman, farmer, hunter and forager all beat a path to his door to sell or barter the best of what the island has to offer throughout the seasons.
The menus are masterpieces of seasonal abundance. While other chef’s shun exciting local and seasonal ingredients, Roger revels in them and makes it seem fun, different and exciting. So, when a nice lady from Freshwater offered Roger her bumper crop of figs he said yes immediately, and transformed them into a simple and luxuriant baked high summer treat stuffed with feta, pine nuts and mint.
Even his fisherman’s pie is a handsome local affair. It comes with five types of locally caught white fish, small, delicate mussels and highly prized Bembridge prawns and tastes wonderfully luxuriant. The addition of saffron in the crust adds a warm, interesting spicy note and it all goes beautifully with the glass of delicious, aromatic homemade elderflower cordial mixed with Corney and Barrow’s light, dry Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine. A well-executed cherry bakewell tart is pronounced ‘delicious’ by my man and pleasingly not too sweet. This is just the kind of a food you long for in the summer, but frequently proves very hard to find.
We also recommend the following menu highlights: a light as air tangy goats cheese soufflé, with glistening locally foraged salad, fish n chips using local pollock or cod and Roger’s celebrated handcut chips, potted shrimps and the amazing, properly creamy cherry ice cream made with fat, seasonal Godshill cherries.
New this season: The pub now has its own shop and stays open late selling local meat from Kemphill Farm, free range eggs from Sue Brownrigg, cakes and ice cream from Calbourne, plus a selection of homemade cordials, preserves, jams and local beer.
The prices are good too. The pub now boasts its own ale, vegetable patch and composts all of its vegetable scraps.
