Cardiff . Restaurants in Wales . Uncategorized . Vale of Glamorgan

The Fox at Penllyn, Cowbridge: pub menu review

On May 25, 2024 by The Plate Licked Clean

India’s Bhāskara II tried it in the mid-12th century. In the 1300s, Petrus Peregrinus of France had a go, too.

For centuries, inventors have yearned to uncover the secret of the perpetual motion machine.

‘A wheel that could run forever’. Infinite work, infinite movement: a machine which never stops moving.

It’s a shame they never got the chance to study John Cook.

I’m sure others will eventually list every single business he has ever run in their inevitable opening paragraph- it must be double digits by now- but the range is illuminating. A commitment to inclusive, vegetarian-heavy menus. The first independent to bring smashed patties to Cardiff (and no, you can’t blame him for the glut that followed). Kapow Ribs: a lockdown Hail Mary which became a local cause célèbre, or whatever the French is for that. From bagel to burger to bistro, there’s a restless energy to John which makes his next move both fascinating and unpredictable.

So here we are at The Fox at Penllyn, where wooden floorboards meet stone walls and beamed ceilings in a quintessential country pub, where on a damp Tuesday the car park is busy and locals fill the bar by 6pm, and where a solid selection of beers- Bath Ales’ Gem, Butty Bach and HPA from Wye Valley- wait.

It’s a safety-first menu, on the surface. So yes, there is a prawn cocktail. And yes, there is gammon and fried egg. And of course, fish and chips. This may not be what you’re expecting from John Cook.

Why? Well, taking over the kitchen of a busy pub at the heart of its small village community needs a different approach than when headlining your own place for an existing fanbase. You have to take people with you, convince them of what you’re doing, show them your approach is worth following, rather than sweep clean as a new broom. You have to respect the fact it’s their local, a place they cherish.

The bar is lively. The dining room soon fills, too, with walk-ins aplenty. Obviously, the new menu is landing well with locals. It’s a mature crowd (on a quick scan, my companion seems to be among the youngest in there, and she’s a youthful-looking 44) who want the familiar.

So. British classics delivered with flair and integrity it is, then. That prawn cocktail is a retro treat, but nothing says British country pub more than a Scotch egg, does it? This one’s a beauty. A dollop of coarse-grained mustard, clearly made here, a fudgy yolk and crisp-shelled pork, and really, what more could you want?

A sausage roll, that’s what. Forget those over-salted cylinders of sadness on your high street. Inside, the meat is packed tighter than a Beryl Cook bathing suit, but the skill here is keeping the texture right, getting the ideal ratio of fat to lean within that sumptuous pastry. Salt, pepper, sage: simple, excellent, simply- excellent. This is a sausage roll to remind you just how good they can be when they are made with a bit of love and care, so have a judicious dip of that caramelised pickled onion relish, sit back with a contented smile and feel just a little smug for ordering very well indeed.

That Middle White pork from Huntsham Court Farm in the Wye Valley has been at the heart of what John does for a while now: you might remember its starring role at Rocket and Rye, where Richard Vaughan would send half a pig at a time, and the menu would change daily as the kitchen worked through the carcass to minimise waste and challenge itself to use the whole animal and not just the ‘glamour’ cuts. (You may remember their pork hash brown, where grated steamed potatoes were layered with confit pork, confit garlic and sage, pressed overnight and then fried in pork fat for service).

The fried chicken is straight out of John’s street food repertoire, hot oil ruffling the lightest of coatings into crispness, served with a subtle wild garlic mayonnaise and a pokier hot honey. It’s a far more genteel thing than the gutsy fermented chilli-dressed Rocket and Rye dish and familiar from the recent Cookies popups.

Duck leg (salted for twenty-four hours with juniper, anise and cinnamon, then braised overnight) is exactly as tender as you’re picturing. It’s the accompanying thick, soupy mixture of carrot, celery and cannellini beans, braised overnight in duck stock, with little nuggets of smoked ham- mirepoix if we are feeling fancy- and more of that pork in a neat little sausage, which proves a memorable foil. If you’re thinking it sounds dauntingly rich, then here comes a bold salsa verde to cut through those fats, and it takes no prisoners.

Every pub menu needs a burger and The Fox doesn’t disappoint. Chips are as craggily good as any I’ve had locally for some time, snapping apart with a puff of steam. The burger itself boasts no bells and whistles, no trying too hard, nothing over-engineered so it needs skewering to keep it whole (I’m told many chefs read this blog: so please, please stop this habit…) Just a very solid burger with well-aged meat (Longhorn beef, 35 days, and Huntsham Court again), oozy cheese, good bread and impeccable chips.

How to think of The Fox, then? Don’t come to The Fox expecting an easy port-over of the eclectic small plates formula which made Rocket and Rye a worthy winner of The Good Food Guide’s Best Local Restaurant in Wales last year.

Accept it on its own terms, understand this is a first step, and of course appreciate the light touch in familiar dishes. It’s about gaining trust. Taking your time.

But when he’s got that- and really, would you bet against him?- The Fox at Penllyn will be an essential trip into The Vale as the kitchen- including sterling support from Jim Dobson (ex-Alium, Poca)- hits its stride.

I usually visit local places to eat at least twice before writing: it means you know you’re getting a considered opinion, rather than a one-meal hot take.

This time’s an exception. Think of this review as a placeholder, a moment in time. The Fox at Penllyn will, I hope, prove to be John’s home for some time, and it will be fun to see how this grows and develops over weeks and months.

One thing is for sure: that brain never stops whirring.

Penllyn, Cowbridge CF71 7RQ