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.