Notes From a Small County
When American family visited this week, we embarked on a mini culinary tour of Rutland's hidden gems
An outsider’s perspective of where one lives is always insightful.
The places we call home reflect differently in others’ eyes, especially from those overseas. For the self-deprecating British, it’s the reason American writer Bill Bryson’s books are so popular. We love having our foibles exposed and learning that life on a small island is more quirky and eccentric than even we might imagine.
I was aware of this when we hosted our American family these past few days. I took some time off work and we toured Rutland – the smallest county of a small island – with my in-laws, experiencing the area as a visitor would. We enjoyed country walks, conversations comparing life here to the United States and feasted on local food and drink.
If I’m honest, I’d previously wondered whether Discover Rutland’s slogan, ‘The County of Good Taste’, was the best way to market the region to visitors. Hambleton Hall – venue of the UK’s longest retained Michelin star restaurant (40 years) – substantiates the claim, but based on our experience this weekend, it’s evident we really do have something special to offer.
We started in Uppingham on Friday, market day. While on child-minding duties outside Goodwin and Belle, while my sister-in-law and wife bought gifts (adding to those already acquired in Blue Gryphon), I observed a group of four day-trippers, two older couples, meandering up the high street.
One of them had struck out ahead towards the market, but the others seemed concerned he had left something behind.
“Tony!” they shouted.
“Tony! Tony! TONY!”
Tony finally heard, stopped abruptly and turned – as had everyone else in the High Street, wondering what the commotion was.
“Do you want a Melton Mowbray pie from Nelsons?”
Relief: an important but non-life-threatening emergency. Uppingham returned to market day bustle.
Presently, Tony emerged from Nelsons butchers, triumphantly raising a paper bag aloft to confirm his purchase of a pork pie. I assured my worried little nephew that everything would be alright now.
The market in Uppingham is appropriately sized for England’s smallest county. If you weren’t buying, you could navigate the miniature maze of stalls in a matter of seconds and be on your way. But if you wanted fruit and veg, seafood, bread, meat, cheese, olives, cereal and rice refills, freshly made crepes, curries, the latest ladieswear, plants, flowers and household goods – and needed your bike repaired before cycling home with your swag – the market’s the place. Saying that, most of those items are also available on the high street every day. Uppingham epitomises Rutland’s ‘Multum in Parvo’ motto: much in little.
Having previously eaten at Don Paddy’s, The Falcon Hotel and the new No.23 Restaurant – all very good – we opted for a pub lunch at The Crown and took the window seat to watch the world go by.
“This will be messy,” said our waitress placing a pulled pork burger in front of me.
“Because of me, or the burger?” I enquired.
It was an excellent burger and the rich slaw – the source of anticipated mess – was delicious. The artisan pizzas were very good, too.
While a snacky lunch in a 16th century coaching inn on market day made the perfect pit stop, there are of course Rutland eateries where the provenance is more pronounced and worthy of marketing to overseas visitors.
Last night, we took our guests for dinner at The King’s Arms in Wing, surely one of the finest eating experiences in Rutland, with its own smokehouse and a game menu one could only dream up.
We started with Jimmy’s Charcuterie Platter: smoked pancetta, pork lomo, spicy coppa, pheasant and pork chorizo, air-dried sika deer and muntjac salami, accompanied by artichokes, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, gherkins and onions. The gentlemen washed this down with a pint of The Grainstore Brewery’s Cooking bitter, while the ladies gallantly guzzled aquarium-sized glasses of gin and tonic before tucking in. The toddler, who was eyeing the feast from his highchair, was delighted with warm homemade sourdough bread.
For main courses, we had fallow deer (leg steak and herbed venison sausages with crispy polenta, tomato and red wine sauce) and Rutland rabbit and rosti (pub Parma rolled loins and confit leg, mushroom ragout and wild garlic leaves). It was a sensational meal – and the blackboard by our table indicated the source of the ingredients and suppliers around Rutland.
We enjoyed a bottle of Tuscan Primitivo with dinner, but perhaps we will be talking more about Rutland wines in the future. The Rutland Vineyard near Ketton will hand-pick its first harvest this autumn, the Jurassic limestone soils similar to those of Burgundy, it’s said. I wonder what the weather – and harvest – will bring?
It would be remiss of me not to mention a couple of other outstanding hospitality experiences over the past few days. Just over the border in Northamptonshire, we enjoyed a magnificent full English brunch at Bulwick Village Shop, our in-laws buying jars of The Pickled Village’s award winning chutneys, jams and marmalades to take home.
Yesterday morning, we went for a walk above Seaton, through fields of flowering rape, accompanied by the songs of skylarks, returning to The George and Dragon for drinks outside in the sunshine. (Another favourite pub for eating.)
Then, sitting around the kitchen table at home, we discussed the differences and similarities of life in Rutland and Colorado.
Beyond the minor but important linguistic variations of two nations divided by a common language (who knew ‘builder’s bum’ translates as ‘plumber’s butt’ in the US?), the gentler pace of life in Rutland was noted by my sister-in-law:
“Colorado is a place of extremes. People climb the highest mountains, go snowboarding, do ultra-marathons, run 100-milers and boast about having the biggest truck. Here, it is just enough to have a lovely day and sit in the garden.”
I assured her we don’t always sit in the garden and drink tea. My brother-in-law continued:
“I love the public footpaths across private land. That’s something we just don’t see. Recently at home, two people were shot for trespassing when they mistakenly drove up a private track.
“We do think about moving to England, especially when there is a shooting.”
The US and UK share some contemporary similarities, however: increasingly divisive politics and a widening economic gap between rich and poor. My brother-in-law, a medical professional who treats those with and without health insurance, and a self-declared ‘never-Trumper’, added:
“Both political parties, Republican and Democrat, suffer in-fighting and have extreme wings, so even they are divided. Trump has made disinformation normal and I don’t see that changing any time soon. But for the die-hards in the Republican party, Trump can do no wrong.”
We contemplated this quietly while sipping ‘plumber’s butt’ breakfast tea and Earl Grey.
While politics is alive but not necessarily well in the UK, it probably isn’t under threat in the way it is in the US.
We agreed that life is quieter in Rutland and that the worst thing one can do here is leave Uppingham without a Nelsons pork pie.
I do hope Tony enjoyed his.
When I wake every Friday morning I invariably think about Uppingham market down here in Dorset. Having managed the market for 5 years whilst town clerk, I loved the buzz and humour of the traders. I’d rise and get into the town hall by 7. Best day of the week. The fractious behaviour when one stall encroached another or the downright determination to trade with the wind and rain doing its worst. Characters and the towns folk generating a convivial atmosphere that Oakham rarely achieves. A day when the whole town comes out, it’s a fundamental part of the community and provides vital cost effective shopping. #loveuppingham ‘much in little’ works well for town too.
We have guests from the US too 🤔
Sounds like you’ve had a gourmet week. Kings Arms is magnificent. “Multum in Parvo” is spot on. So much going on, so much to eat, see & do- I can’t keep up!