Sculthorpe Mill
Sculthorpe, Norfolk
You expect plenty of countryside in North Norfolk, but few settings can compare to this 'rural idyll' for sheer lush loveliness. In 2021, this 18th-century watermill (with the river Wensum running underneath) was taken over by Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton – sisters of TV’s Oliver Peyton and owners of a string of London bakeries. The original building has been 'cleverly reimagined' and turned into a swish pub/restaurant with rooms, where local ingredients and seasonal flourishes pepper the menu. Eat in the beam-bedecked bar area, a buzzy adjacent room (complete with a classic pop soundtrack), or the more serene first-floor dining room. Devilled eggs make a fine opener: hard-boiled with creamed yolks, two lines of jalapeño relish and a sliver of crisp bacon on top. Better still is the assortment of house potted meats – one rillette-like mound of garlicky duck, another of pork, served with tangy cherry compote and toasted sourdough. To follow, al dente spaghetti comes clothed in a very rich wild mushroom sauce, with chunks of leek and toasted hazelnuts adding crunch, while whole lemon sole is boosted in springtime by asparagus, local brown shrimps and capers in melted butter. An inspection meal finished on a high: Norfolk rhubarb and apple crumble with cinnamon ice cream – crunchy, creamy, tart and sweet in all the right places. Norfolk ales and a pithily annotated wine list are further draws, as is the confident and highly competent service. One to watch.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Private dining room, Separate bar, Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly
Lynn Road, Sculthorpe, Norfolk NR21 9QG
01328 633001
