The Plough, Wavendon
72 Walton Road, Wavendon, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK17 8LW
01908 587576
www.theploughwavendon.com
Review by Jane O’Connor
 Nestling in the small parish village of Wavendon, Buckinghamshire and situated on the site of a former 16th century coaching inn and bake house, is this gem of a restaurant which is well worth seeking out.
The Plough provided a welcome sanctuary from the chilly December evening. The dining room is simple elegance; its dark wood floor and soothing yellow walls present no unwanted distraction from the food.
The cuisine is “traditional meets contemporary” European, and there is an emphasis on locally sourced produce, like the venison from nearby Woburn. At the helm is award-winning head chef Grant Hawthorne who trained with celebrity chef Jean Christophe-Novelli and has cooked for Nelson Mandela.
The choice of wine is mind-boggling; 300 bins of New World and European wines are available, with biodynamic and organic wines a feature. I was pleasantly surprised to see that 20 wines were available by the glass and decided to go for this option.
I went for the 2005 Montagny Ler Cru ‘Les Platieres’ Burgundy (£9.00) which had a smooth finish, while my husband Tom opted for the 2005 Bacchus Reserve, Chapel Down, England (£6.75) with clear citrus notes. If requested, wine recommendations are happily given.
I started with the roasted butternut and carrot soup (£7.00) which managed to hold its earthy taste against the richness of the vanilla, truffle oil and cream. The result was both rich and warming.
Tom chose the Tuna Medallions with ginger, plum wine, lambs lettuce and roasted almonds (£11.50), the ginger was subtle while the plum wine lent the fish a dark sweetness that did not overpower. We knew by now we were in safe hands.
For mains I had the daily market fish supreme; grilled sea bass with porcini ravioli, crayfish and fennel ragout (£27.25). The sea bass melted in my mouth, but the creamy textures of the ravioli and ragout proved a bit too much for me after the richness of my soup.
Tom picked the beautifully presented Pork Duet: pork cheek and fillet served with carrot puree, confit shallot, broad beans & date compote (£22.75). He loved the sweet tastes of the dish and the different textures of the pork.
 For dessert I had the beautiful Amadel bitter chocolate fondant (£11.25) which did not disappoint. Tom’s traditional iced parfait with tuille and chocolate pencils (£8.25) was light and sweet with a contrasting sharpness.
Service was a joy; a carefully struck balance between unobtrusive and friendly that is so often hard to get right.
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