AUTUMN DINING Enjoying the new menus now available at Bicker’s Red Lion, perfect for November!

Two-hour smoked chicken breast with Parmesan beignets, olive and tomato anchovy and garlic split-cream with basil oil £15.

A PUB RESTAURANT WITH ROAR TALENT

What’s the expression? It’s better to live one day like a lion, than a thousand sheepishly. Likewise it’s better to enjoy superb dining at Bicker’s Red Lion than settle for anything less. This month we’re looking forward to autumn dining including the pub restaurant’s excellent tapas option...

Words & Images: Rob Davis, Dean Fisher.

RED IS VERY MUCH the colour of the month. As leaves turn a russet shade and detach from their trees and as skies at night take on that reddy-amber glow, the palate of autumn reveals itself with dazzling saturation and a terrifically satisfying sense of warmth.

Even better than the way autumn looks though, is the way it tastes. Last month in Pride you’ll have gathered our palpable sense of excitement as we launched our Good Food Awards and began to celebrate the county’s best restaurants.

In any other year it’d be an exciting prospect but given that the whole hospitality industry is craving a return to normality, it’s even more keenly anticipated in autumn. And of course, as temperatures drop, barbecues and al fresco dining are less tempting... we’re all ready to get back into a nice cosy dining room and enjoy warming autumn and winter dishes, open fires, chinking glasses of full-bodied red wine.

First on our list when we’re heading out for autumn dining is Bicker’s Red Lion, somewhere we’ve long championed and are especially fond of at this time of year. The place reeks of rustic, from the flagstone floors and nobbly beams to open fields that

OPEN FOR FOOD

Monday & Tuesday: Closed. Wed, Thurs, Fri: Open from 4pm. Saturday: Open all day. Sunday Lunch: 12 noon to 6pm. surround it, to the chunky steaks, rustic chips, local ale and generally satisfying food throughout the pub restaurant’s menu. The place is 350-years old and has provenance as a former hang out for smuggler’s before the land was drained and when Bicker was on the coast.

Taken over by the Duffy family – farmers by profession – in 2012, the place was given a very thorough refurbishment. With a main restaurant at the rear of the place – known as the Hobble Barn – plus little nooks and crannies in which to dine elsewhere, the place has a nice intimate feel, aided by chunky furniture and low ceilings. At the time of writing the hospitality industry generally is being frustrated by a lack of availability of supplies as the haulage

on the MENU

Tapas Garden toasts; sourdough infused with garlic, beetroot, radish and ricotta, £6. Soft-poached Scotch egg with mustard mayo £7. Smoked brisket burnt ends with sweet BBQ glaze £7.50. Baked British Camembert with sweet apple chutney and bread soldiers £8. Main Courses

8oz steak burger with melted Jack cheese, red onion, burger sauce, pickles & rustic chips £14. Homemade ‘moo and blue’ pie with shortcrust pastry £13. Pan-roasted fillet of Scottish salmon with crushed new potatoes and samphire £16. Crispy chilli beef on stirfry noodles £15. Two-hour smoked chicken breast with Parmesan beignets, olive and tomato anchovy and garlic split-cream with basil oil £15. Desserts

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake with meringue, strawberry dust and Chantilly cream.

Ye Olde Red Lion, Bicker, Boston PE20 3EF. Call 01775 821200 or see www.redlionbicker.co.uk.

NB: All menu items are subject to change. industry and the hospitality industry itself struggles to employ staff post-furlough. Happily though, The Red Lion is more immune to its effects than many places as the team, including chefs Marcus Franklin and Adam Nagy are long-termers and much of the produce comes from local farms and food producers, ensuring that availability isn’t so much of an issue.

That, in turn, means that consistency is as present as ever, and quality is still as high as it always has been. The menu has been designed since reopening to include 10 main courses including two steaks. Traditional quality pub restaurant options include a battered haddock and rustic chips option, steak burger and handmade ‘moo and blue’ pie, but The Red Lion also takes its inspiration from elsewhere in the world with crispy chilli beef dish, as well as chicken and chorizo tagliatelle.

Another international influence which has been front and centre of The Red Lion’s menu for a number of years is its innovative Lincolnshire take on tapas. In lieu of starter options or as a series of ‘mix and match’ dishes upon which to graze, diners can choose from one of 12 small but perfectly formed tapas options smaller in composition but massive in flavour.

Marcus has recently been treated to a new piece of kit in the form of a smoker, which means he can now combine a local cut of beef brisket with smoky mesquite flavours and sweet barbecue glazes... we defy anyone

“The Red Lion is a super example of what autumn dining is all about. Each dish is truly satisfying and packed with flavour, beautifully presented and generous in proportion...”

to not crave Adam’s burnt ends in front of an open fire as the temperature drops. Other suppliers? Well, Lincolnshire fruit and veg supplier Jonathan Hull is contributing fresh produce, much of which comes from the silty fields of South Lincolnshire, whilst Grimsby-based Moorcroft is providing fresh fish and seafood via the town’s fish docks. A final word must go to the restaurant’s dessert, all of which are made in house and presented beautifully, really delicious and definitely worth saving room for. The Red Lion is a super example of what autumn dining is all about. Each dish is truly satisfying and packed with flavour, beautifully presented and generous in proportion. The setting, too, is great, really cosy with a warm welcome, and a vibe that it’s ‘your’ local even if you live miles away. And then there’s the chefcraft, front of house and personal investment that everyone at The Red Lion appears to have made in ensuring a great experience for diners. It all contributes to a thoroughly satisfying experience.

MEET THE CHEF

MARCUS FRANKLIN

Food History: I worked at the Supreme Inn, the sister restaurant of The Red Lion just down the road but fell in love with this place! Food Heaven: I really am fond of game in autumn! Food Hell: I really do hate baked beans! n