There doesn’t seem to be too much going on in the village of Treburley…unless you’re a foodie! The Springer Spaniel is a fine dining pub that is that rare combination of being both family and dog friendly. The owners run the Treby Arms in Devon, and the family friendly Elements restaurant in Bude, so they know a thing or two about what it takes to provide an excellent dining experience. The Springer Spaniel’s motto of “proper food, cooked proper” was exemplified in our recent visit one rainy Sunday afternoon.
The pub itself is very unassuming and we didn’t feel out of place when we walked in with a toddler and infant in tow. A decent mix of customers with a good smattering of families meant there wasn’t that fear of it being too posh a place for our kids or that they must be seen and, God forbid, not heard.
The staff were polite, courteous and knowledgeable, they knew their dishes! Service was quick, which is important when you have impatient children.
I indulged in a starter of black pudding, scotch egg, red pepper ketchup and pickles which was absolutely stunning in both appearance and taste. Mrs H wasn’t feeling up to three courses so missed out on skipped the starter. Whilst the portion was not huge (it is fine dining!) it set me up nicely for the main course.
We had asked that the children’s meals be served with my starter which our server was happy to facilitate. They both fancied the
kids fish goujons with triple cooked chips from the ‘Springer Spaniel Pups’ Menu for ages 8 and under. They arrived at the same time as my starter meaning we could all eat at the same time. Although at 3 and 5 they are both not quite at the critiquing-of-fine-dining-food stage, they both seemed to enjoy their dishes.
Mrs H ordered the roast beef with mash, Yorkshire pudding and traditional trimmings. The beef, so she tells me, was succulent and the Yorkshire pudding ‘better than mine’…so it must have been excellent! Seriously, the Yorkshires were fantastic, especially when soaked in the delightfully rich gravy that was provided. I experienced one that was provided with my roast pork loin and mustard mash I ordered. I must admit, I do like it when a restaurant adds a Yorkshire by default to the non-beef roasts, it should be the law. The vegetables provided in separate dishes were cooked and seasoned to perfection. Everything was so beautifully presented and supremely tasty.
After we had polished off the mains we all indulged in afters. Mrs H had the chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, I had Ali’s Mums Malva pudding with stem ginger ice cream and the kids tried the ‘Pups Pudding’ homemade ice cream with oat crumbs and popping candy. Again, everything was beautifully presented and my Malva pudding was superb.
I can honestly say this is one of my all time greatest Sunday Lunch experiences and for it to happen with my young family in tow is amazing. The other amazing thing is the price, especially when you compare it to run-of-the-mill Sunday pub grub. We paid £25 for three fantastic adult courses which entitled us to a free kids main meal. All we had to then pay for was two kids ice creams (£1 each) and our drinks. So for £52 (excluding drinks) you can fine dine a whole family of four which I think is excellent value for money. It is no wonder that the Springer Spaniel has won The Good Pub Guide Cornwall’s County Dining Pub of the Year 2017. I highly recommend it if you are in Cornwall or near the Devon/Cornwall border. Another worthy winner of our Family Friendly Magazine Editors’ Choice Award!
The Springer Spaniel, Treburley, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9NS
Telephone: 01579 370424
Website: www.thespringerspaniel.co.uk
