Best cheap places to eat in Warwickshire – by Michelin chef in county
As part of the Cheap Eats series in our Money blog, we ask Michelin chefs to pick their favourite place for a cheap meal where they live and when they cook at home. This week we speak to Richard Craven from one-starred The Royal Oak in Warwickshire…
Hi Richard, can you tell us your favourite places in Warwickshire where you can get a meal for two for less than £40?
I have two great local spots, one for brunch and one for dinner. They both support sustainable and regenerative farming and use the brilliant Tamworth pork from our neighbour Paddock Farm.
For brunch or lunch it has to be The Straw Kitchen at Whichford Pottery. The kitchen offers classic brunch dishes with homemade relishes and home-grown leaves and super interesting and healthy salads with a great range of meaty and vegetarian options. My go-to treat would be the bacon sandwich.
The second is The Copper Grill, which recently opened within our local, The Black Horse, Shipston-on-Stour. The burgers are incredible. The bacon double-cheese burger is my favourite, but there are a great range that pair well with the selection of beers that the landlord, Gabe, keeps.
Living in the countryside with a sparse population means we don’t have a lot of fast-food options, so to find something independently owned and a massive cut above the chains makes this a winner.
What’s your go-to cheap meal at home?
I trained under Italian chefs at the start of my career, so pasta has always been a favourite fast food for me.
At this time of year, it would have to be wild garlic pesto, with either fresh or dried supermarket pasta.
Throw a couple handfuls of wild garlic leaves into a food processor, with a handful of both walnuts and pine nuts that have been toasted, a handful of parmesan or an English alternative, such as Old Winchester, and blend with a glug of olive oil. Toss with the cooked pasta and it’s done.
I usually do a larger batch and keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge.
How did you get into cheffing?
I went to school in Chipping Campden and started washing up in kitchens, simply because it was warmer and better paid than my paper round.
I quickly realised if everything was clean and tidy, I would get something more interesting to do and that was the spark.
I really loved the environment and ended up going full time at 18.
We’ve spoken to lots of top chefs and bloggers – check out their Cheap Eats from around the country here…