Pub review: The Merry Harriers

Remember when ‘hidden gem’ actually used to mean something? I’m still waiting for influencers to read the irony in the room when sharing such gems with tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of followers who are all scrolling the same accounts for vicarious thrills. Could be worth looking up the meaning of ‘hidden’.

I don’t know whether you’ve ever investigated these places that somehow only people with extensive online reach can locate, but funnily enough when dozens of these social media movers visit and recommend the same place over and over, suddenly that gem is no longer very hard to find. From beaches in the Mediterranean to backstreet boozers, the impact of such sudden popularity can vary in effect – hospitality businesses will no doubt welcome queues down the street, while we all know how certain areas of Spain currently feel about the levels of tourism their islands are experiencing.

Anyway, as I am far from the heights of social media mega stardom (780 followers and counting, folks), I am confident in the accuracy of labelling the two places I am going to tell you about right now as ‘hidden gems’. This issue’s pub review took me to a site called The Merry Harriers, a quite beautiful countryside pub in the Surrey village of Hambledon. But first, it’s worth telling you about the other business run nearby by owners Alex Winch and Sam Fiddian-Green. This one is called Hilltop Kitchen, a café/restaurant perched picturesquely on top of a hill in Godalming, serving up fresh coffee and a menu packed with produce grown on the family farm. On a spring or summer’s day, I’d argue it’s one of the most idyllic spots for a drink or light bite in the south of England. But here’s the kicker: it’s currently closed, thanks to the powers that be at Waverley Council. “We are working tirelessly to reopen Hilltop Kitchen in a new building on the farm just 10 metres behind its current location,” say the duo. “It’s crazy but that’s life.” Watch this space and visit when it reopens. But, shh, don’t tell anyone. 

Alex Winch and Sam Fiddian-Green

The Merry Harriers

I had been to Hilltop Kitchen a handful of times, so was delighted to hear in late 2023 that Winch and Fiddian-Green were planning on taking their operational approach into a pub just down the road. I had spotted The Merry Harriers on the BBC’s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing a year or so before and had jotted it down for a potential visit. Now, with knowledge of who was behind this secluded site, a potential visit became a must. 

These guys know what they’re doing. Fiddian-Green trained at Ballymaloe and initially worked in Italy, followed by two years at the one-Michelin star Harwood Arms pub in Fulham. In 2019, he worked under Paul Cunningham in his two-Michelin starred restaurant Henne Kirkebby Kro in Denmark. Winch, meanwhile, has been restaurant manager at Woodhouse Restaurant Group's Michelin-starred Portland in Fitzrovia and head sommelier at Perth WA’s fine dining venue Wildflower. When you take that fine dining experience, the detail and elements of service it instils, but introduce it to a pub or pop-up setting, you get The Merry Harriers and Hilltop Kitchen. 

Dining at The Merry Harriers

On the day I visited the former, I did feel a little sorry for the front- and back-of-house teams. They were slammed. A pre-booked group of 30 or 40 cyclists had turned up an hour late for their booking and because The Merry Harriers cooks absolutely everything fresh, food for the lycra crew ate into the lunch service for everyone else who had turned up on time. It did mean quite a wait for orders to come out of the kitchen, but you know what, it was totally worth it. 

These guys and girls are cooking whatever the local surroundings bring their way – the sourcing of pretty much every ingredient is detailed on the reverse of the menu, including meat and veg from the co-owner’s farm. On a sunny Saturday lunchtime, perhaps after a couple of margaritas or a Penny’s English negronis, you could treat yourself with some Bloody Mary oysters or Lumpfish caviar on homemade hashbrowns? Don’t mind if I do.
Starters featured a refreshing and elegant cured stone bass with truffle dressing, sea purslane and crispy shallots, as well as a gorgeous gazpacho poured around a crab salad. It’s a shame this was transported on a boiling hot plate, but, again, this must have been down to the rush of washed crockery post-cyclist frenzy.

Pub classics done right

Mains were equally impressive. The seared tuna niçoise salad couldn’t have been executed any better, plus I love the fact that instead of chips on the side, The Merry Harriers have crispy potatoes with crème fraîche. However, the best schnitzel this side of Austria didn’t come with those. No, the best schnitzel this side of Austria came with some Jersey Royals. The finely battered chicken sat proudly atop of its potato pals, underneath a perfectly formed scoop of vibrant green garlic and parsley butter. This, my friends, is how you schnitzel. 

As you might expect, The Merry Harriers doesn’t mess around with desserts either. We’re talking a Jamaican ginger sticky toffee pudding with whisky toffee sauce and if that’s where I’m starting is there even any point in listing anything else? Oh, wow, keep reading and you’ll see a coffee and walnut ice cream sandwich, a Sussex strawberry and pistachio torte, and a cinnamon bun and butter pudding. Honestly, what a menu. The fact it changes so loyally with the seasons means, I think, four visits a year have now become essential. That’s my plan. But for Pete’s sake, please keep this to yourself. 

You may also be interested in…