William Saunders’s slow-roasted lamb shank is a mouth-watering triumph

Name: William Saunders

Restaurant: The Swan Inn

Address: High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire

Tel: 01608 650711

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• What is your earliest memory of food?

Eating at Calcot Manor and eating beef from Prince Charles’s farm, and also their chocolate fondant pudding.

• Tell us about your menu…

Our menu is good, locally-sourced – as far as possible – homemade classic pub food with lots of favourites, such as our shortcrust pastry pies.

• How often do you change your menu?

Twice a year, but with so many dishes being favourites with our customers it’s quite difficult to make too many changes.

• Which dish on the menu would you recommend to a customer?

Lamb shank it is slow-roasted to make a mouth-watering shank served with a mint gravy.

• What initiated your interest in cooking?

I got interested in cooking as I love to eat out and try different foods, so I began experimenting with flavours and foods to find perfect combinations.

• How would you describe your approach to food?

Good ingredients and exciting, but also an art as I like food to taste and look equally good.

• What advice would you give to a novice?

My advice would be to experiment with flavours and foods and to always cook and present as you would like to receive yourself in any establishment.

• Have you ever had any cooking disasters?

Not really. We had a function booked when they turned up with almost double the people that they had booked for, but that’s about it fortunately!

• What has been your most memorable meal?

My first Sushi, which was when I was on holiday in Vancouver.

• Which chefs have been your greatest inspiration?

Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver.

• What is your favourite local ingredient?

It would have to be our beef, which is from our local butcher and is hung for at least 28 days.

• What’s in your fridge at home?

Smoked salmon, cured meats and cheese.

• What is your favourite local restaurant?

The Greedy Goose [Salford Hill, Chastleton, Moreton-in-Marsh].

• Why should people visit you?

We serve honest home-cooked food which is good value, and with a friendly family atmosphere.

• What would you recommend about the local area?

Batsford Arboretum, the great walks and the gardens which are within our town.

• What would you choose for your last meal on earth?

A roast dinner.