October 2026. Nassington. Northamptonshire.
Last year, Yarwell; this time Nassington gets the Beer Guide glory in that cluster of gorgeous villages west of the A1 at Peterborough.
A few miles east you’ve got dull Fenland and that pub in Holme that thinks it’s the lowest point in the UK, but this little pocket of Northants (notably Oundle) is like a less stuck-up Cotswolds, and the Queen’s Head in Nassington may be the best lunch stop on the whole Great North Road.
Nothing flashy, no “Rooms and Dining” nonsense all over the walls at GBG newbie the Queen’s Head,
no artisanal guff on the menu,
just a simple dining room, some tasteful art,
and bar with mix of seating options and loveably naff local radio pop.
By 2026 standards, even the Halloween tat isn’t that overdone.
One beer from Oundle, one from Bateman’s (though you’d be hard pressed to know that from the Salem Fest Bier clip), and local cider.
It’s all NBSS 3.5 quality stuff, cool and tasty, but it’s the grub that’s the full 5*.
Their steak and mushroom is the Pie of the Year, proper crust, fresh veg, a mighty portion.
Mrs RM’s fish and chips were possibly even better. And because they don’t write the calories on the menu, it’s probably good for you.
You’ll be wanting a walk afterwards though to assuage any dietary guilty;
But I guarantee you’ll be too stuffed to even attempt it.
Yes, you can’t go far wrong with a Proper Crust.
And that “or make a suggestion” is a a nice idea for the Jacket Potatoes, though it’s probably too far east for suggesting “a faggot or grey paes please”.
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