What’s better after a five hour country walk than to sit down for a nice long pub lunch? That’s what we thought too and after the long Henley to Marlow walk, what better pub lunch than the Michelin-starred Hand and Flowers that I remember being so good (and popular) when I worked in Marlow.

Making a reservation is definitely recommended for any weekend visit and I counted ourselves lucky for getting a table outside. The dark and storm weather threatened to cause further trouble to our dining experience although nothing multiple golf-sized umbrellas and our waterproof jackets couldn’t handle. Our walking gear prepared us better than the outdoor table of four nearby, whose shrieks indicated ineffective umbrella coverage.

After ordering, the waitresses brought out warm bread from the oven and some of the largest white bait fish I’ve ever seen. My favourite was the warm soda bread with its super crisp crunch and delicious crumb the perfect start to our meal.

The umbrellas above helped keep us dry (when we expanded them of course).

The special dish for the day was prepared for the Great British Menu and represented a take on the classic Scotch Egg though made with much finer ingredients including a quails egg and then surrounded by crayfish meat instead of standard sausage meat.

We definitely needed rehydrating after our long walk, and there’s nothing that Pimms can’t fix on a “summer” day like this.

Here’s the beautifully presented Crayfish Scotch Egg on a bed of, what I think was, watercress made to look like a golf ball lost on a golf course. They served the egg with a tiny bucket filled with mayonnaise.

Above is the picture of the interior to the scotch egg.

I ordered the fish as my main, and served with a brown butter sauce was delicious, if not a little bit heavily seasoned.

Fortunately the amazingly green pea soup helped add some warmth and vibrancy to the entire meal.

Name: Hand and Flowers
Found at: 126 West Street, Marlow, SL7 2BP
Website: http://www.thehandandflowers.co.uk/