News
On May 1st this year 2010, we were reviewed in the Saturday Times Newspaper as number 20 of their article titled ' 50 Best places to eat in the Countryside........
50 best places to eat in the countryside
Britain's top rural retreats for the discerning outdoor eater
20 Kings Head, Ruan Lanihorne, Cornwall A beautiful wiggly drive along the Fal estuary to reach this gorgeously isolated pub, which cooks fantastic meat from the local farmers the Lobb brothers, at St Ewe. Ruan Lanihorne, nr Truro, Cornwall ( 01872 501263 01872 501263, kings-head-roseland.co.uk)
We are delighted!!
Nearly spring - March 30th 2010
Well, we were hoping that spring was here, but it appears we are getting colder this week....never mind, not for much longer, after a reasonable winter we are looking forward to the spring and summer months, over the winter we have had several quiz nights, which have proved to be very successful... the Avant Ski night was a great 'fun' night, very well subscribed and of course the Xmas wine tasting was also a very good evening. Andrew is 11 days away from running the 'Paris Marathon' raising monies for Breast Cancer campaign, up to about £3,000, so if any one would like to sponsor him just go to Andrew Law just giving and it will direct you to the sponsor page. We have our fabulous May Wine tasting on the 26th of May, a five course meal and all wines are Jordan Wines from South Africa this year, should be a good evening. Check out the missives on this website, all the details are there....
What a review!!
Cornish Guardian journalist Matt Dixon came here for dinner one evening back in the winter months......he wrote a wonderful review, the best thing about it is that Andrew and I were not here that evening, so a huge 'Well done' to the team, it does'nt get better than this one guys....thank you.
Review from the Cornish Guardian and West Briton; March 2010
TR2 5NX - let's start with the postcode, because chances are you won't have heard of Ruan Lanihorne and furthermore, the King's Head is one of the less distinctive pub names in the country.
If you want to sample one of Cornwall's best kept dining secrets, here is a quick geography lesson: Take the Truro to St Austell road and turn off for St Mawes. When you reach Tregony, go over the bridge and bear round to the right, before turning right and heading along a tree-lined road for around two miles.
There you will find the delightful Ruan Lanihorne, nestled next to the impossibly tranquil River Fal.
Yes the King's Head is a pub, yes it is in a village, but no, it doesn't serve microwave pies or soggy roast dinners.
If you like your dining intimate, yet informal and relaxed, start punching the postcode into your satnav now.
A large, open fire warming a cosy bar area offers an appealing welcome, complemented by the amiable and discreet bar staff.
Within two or three minutes of arriving, my partner and I were sniffing and swilling a rather splendid bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
No Blue Nun on that wine list. After nattering at the bar for 20 unhurried minutes (unusually she talked more than I did), we were shown to our table, tucked away in the corner of the dining area to provide the perfect vantage point for a people-watch.
My crab pate was indulgently creamy, but her tiger prawns bathed in garlic were the star of the show, as we began the terribly onerous task of soaking up our pre-match wine.
For our main course, the petite lady had a butch steak - put that in your stereotype pipe and smoke it - but not before we had quizzed the bartender/waiter as to the differences between rump, sirloin and fillet.
He gave us ample detail on types of cut, fat content and taste, before she plumped for the sirloin, accompanied by chips and salad.
I had an utterly divine smoked haddock and chorizo, with mash and cabbage.
The fish fell apart with the gentlest encouragement from my fork and the taste was sensational.
Just enough chorizo to add some bite, but not too much so as to overpower the gorgeous, oaky flavour of the meat.
The cabbage and mash provided an ideal, subtle sideshow to the main event.
With dessert something of a squeeze, I opted for an orange Grand Marnier ice cream to cool and cleanse the palate.
A wonderfully silky smooth finish to a top notch meal.
The problem with writing about a hidden gem such as this, is that it ceases to become hidden.
It is the sort of place that hikers would happen upon as they ploughed a rustic furrow along the beautiful Roseland peninsula.
My bet would be that once they had discovered its quaint charms, one or two more walks might be planned past the front door of the King's Head.
Autumn 2009
Well, after a busy summer, we are now looking forward to roaring log fires, a change of menu and a few special evenings to pop in the diary..... There will be a few quiz evenings before Christmas, the Xmas wine tasting ( always a fun night!), plus the first Kings Head 'Avant Ski' Evening', with the inaugral running of the Kings Head Downhill!!, all sure to be good evenings, all details can be found on the latest missive which should be on the website by the end of October....
We have been lucky enough to have had a couple of very nice reviews in our local press, here are two that appeared in the Cornwall Today magazine
This one was written in September 2004 - Titled 'Chefs who impress'
Some would say that it ws a little ambitious to take on a pub that was not at the height of its success, with the aim of bringing customers from both the local community and further afield to the out-of-town location of Ruan Lanihorne. It might also perturb you to hear that Andrew Law, owner and Chef, is in the kitchen for the first time in over 20 years. But don't despair! Andrew, who has been in the county for four years, and has owned the Kings Head with wife Niki for just four months, has a wealth of experience in the catering industry, and together they have set about implementing the changes to make their venture a roaring success. Sea loving Andrew, who attended catering college in Jersey, has worked as far afield as Cape Town and Mauritius but, after 18 relocations has decided to sear his steak in Cornwall. Bringing to the Kings Head,four years in- county experience, Andrew comes from The Nare Hotel in Veryan, which achieved a number of accolades under his managment. Describing owning The Kings Head as 'fulfilling a dream', Andrews eyes light up as he recalls the opening night back in April this year, when, out of 250 invites sent, every single person invited turned up! There is a homely ambience to The Kings Head, with friendly local staff adding to the comfortable and relacxed atmosphere. It's a pub with something to look at on the walls with beer jugs, pictures and bottles decorating a fresh lick of paint. The onset of winter seems almost bearable when you imagine sinking into the 'oh so comfy' sofa in front of a roaring fire in the bar whilst nursing a hot toddy.... and if we do get an indian summer, there's aways the beer garden in which to catch the late September sun!
Andrew believes in sourcing local produce wherever possible, and he relies on fishermen Tony Tomlinson and Scruff to supply him with his fresh fish and scallops, which are caught locally in the waters off St Mawes and delivered direct to the Kings Head the same day. For those of you just popping in for a drink, you will be happy to hear that The Kings Head stock Skinners Ales. The menu contains a mouth watering range of fish and meat dishes with a dessert menu to tempt even those that would usually refrain!!
The second article in the 'Cornwall Today' appeared in the August Edition 2008
The Kings Head is one of those Cornish finds; a traditional homely pub which is tucked away off the beaten track and well away from the hurly burly of the Cornish holiday season. The drive to the pub is , in itself a pleasure, set as it is, close to the Lamorran Woods in the tiny hamlet of Ruan Lanihorne on the Roseland. With a reputation for a warm welcome and a strong local presence, country pubs don't come much more genuine than this.
I arrived with my friend on a warm summers evening and having last visited in winter, was keen to see whether the experience would be the same without a crackling fire, and if the food was as good as I remembered it. The Kings Head is a free house owned by Andrew and Niki Law, who have, over the last few years, given the pub a real reputation for good food and a warm atmosphere.
Having settled ourselves into a corner underneath the beamed ceiling adorned with dozens of china cups, we turned our attention to the menu. The emphasis is on locally produced food and the meat, sourced from nearby farmers, is hung for 21 days. I decided to make the most of the specials board, which featured a range of Cornish Seafood. I opted for a starter of local scallops, pan fried in Garlic and Lemon Butter, followed by Portloe crab, dressed and served with new potatoes, salad and a creme fraiche and tarragon mayonnaise. My friend, meanwhile, ordered home made rosemary and thyme foccaccia bread, warmed and served with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and butters, follwed by the sea bass fillets with garlic, sea salt and rosemary.
The menu featured the pub's speciality dish of roast Terras Ruan Duckling, along with mains such as Tywardreath sausages with basil mash and red onion marmalade, but we were both keen to sample the fish, especially as I learnt that the scallops had been landed in St Mawes that morning. I was not disappointed. The scallops were juicy and large, while a piece of Foccacia bread came in very useful for soaking up the remaining garlic and lemon butter.
A glass of cold white wine having washed down the main, we gave ourselves a breather before moving onto the desset. I took a long time musing over whether to squeeze in the lemon cheesecake or a chocolate brownie with clotted cream. But, in the end common sense prevailed and I plumped for the lighter option of iced forest berries dipped in a white chocolate sauce. Having brought the freezing berries to my table, the waitress poured over a jug of creamy white chocolate sauce. The sweet sauce immediately thickened around the berries so that it stuck to each tart mouthful.
Although mine was the more entertaining dessert of the two, the arrival of my friends's generous slab of home-made chocolate brownie did provoke a few twinges of regret! No Cornish man or woman appreciates a less than honest teaspoonful of clotted cream, and I really think you can judge a restaurant on the size of it's 'dollop'. the generous serving which accompanied the deliciously rich, damp brownie ( she let me have a bite!) spoke volumes.
If honest food is what you want then the Kings Head serves it, and generously. Having said that, prices reflect the quality of the food and , if you are in search of a low budget meal, this is not for you. If, however, you savour locally produced fare, beautifully cooked, with prices that reflect the hard work and skill that has caught, reared or grown it, then you can't really do better than this!