If you fancy a night or two away from home, but not too far away, I can give you a great recommendation: The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh.
We visited the other day and were so impressed – not just with the pub itself, but with the lovely staff and the whole ‘vibe’ of the place. It really feels like you are in the hub of Cranleigh. Add to that the great bedroom and the amazing food, and you’re onto a winner.
Where is The Richard Onslow?
Situated right on the main street of Cranleigh, but set back from the main road, The Richard Onslow has tables outside and is packed with locals enjoying a post-work drink, or stopping off while walking their dogs
There is a very attractive courtyard at the back of the pub and inside it has a number of cosy nooks and crannies as well as a large restaurant.
What are the Bedrooms Like?
The ten bedrooms are characterful, stylishly decorated and in keeping with the pub’s age and there is onsite parking behind the pub for overnight guests.
Our room was in the main building (there are some additional rooms in an annex). As with another Peach Pub we visited (The Drummond in Albury), the clever eye for detail in the interior design picks up colours and nuances brilliantly, and top quality fabrics and furnishings are used.
The ensuite bathroom had been updated with new tiles and flooring but had a classic feel to it. The prices are reasonable too (from £120 for a double for B&B)
Our Evening Meal
Our dinner was in the main restaurant, which was quite cavernous, but careful interior design had created more intimate sections.
The wallpaper was stunning – an Asian style, number with a botanical theme and birds. It was bold but suited the room so well and we noticed that the colours had been artfully included in all the other furnishings, even down to the colour of the suede buttons on the dining chairs.
I started with a G&T (£10.50 from local distillery Silent Pool as recommended by Grace, the deputy manager). There is a good range of alcohol-free beers, cocktails and juices, but on this occasion my husband chose sparkling water to accompany his dinner.
Starters:
Chloe, our lovely server, brought us the blackboard with the day’s specials.
I chose Tempura Prawns with Oriental salad and Vietnamese dip (£12) and my husband opted for the Roasted Red Pepper Soup with basil oil (£7.50). They were both excellent, and a good indication of more great food to come.
My prawns were a generous size, piping hot and the tempura batter was feather-light. The salad balanced it beautifully and the dipping sauce complemented both components perfectly.
The portion of soup was very generous: it would make a lunch on its own and was served with lightly toasted sourdough. The fact that the peppers had been roasted added depth of flavour to the soup, and basil oil was an interesting, but very tasty, addition. 
I tend only to add basil oil to a tomato soup, or salad, but from now on will consider it more widely.
Main Courses:
Belly pork is something that I love, but my husband doesn’t, so it’s something that I order when out.
So often it’s a great disappointment, being fatty and oily and just not that pleasant, but I’m so glad I chose it at The Richard Onslow. Jimmy Butler’s BBQ glazed pork belly with Summer slow and fries (£21.75) was superb. Served with a sliver of crackling that was so beautifully crisp and surprisingly un-oily, the pork itself was packed with flavour and had been cooked to perfection.
All the fat had been carefully cooked out and the Summer slaw paired with it beautifully.
For some reason it was served with a small dish of sour cream, which I felt was unnecessary (mayonnaise might have been preferable).
The BBQ element was gentle, but tasty and I was in porcine heaven.
The Fish Pie – King Prawn, Hake, Loch Trout and Smoked Haddock with Butter Leaf Salad (£22.50) that my husband chose didn’t disappoint either. He declared it to be probably the best he’d eaten, and I wasn’t allowed to taste it. (always, for him, a testament to deliciousness)
While there are a number of side dishes on the menu, one of the nice things about the menu is that the main courses are all served with appropriate accompaniments.
Dessert:
Needless to say, I was feeling pretty replete, but one of the things on the menu that caught my eye is the fact that with the cheese option, you can choose all five of the British cheeses with chutney, apple and Peter’s Yard crackers (£13) or just select three, or as I did, just a smidgen of just one of them – Baron Bigod (£4.75).
OMG… it was served at perfect temperature and together with a small glass of tempranillo, suited me perfectly.
Having noted someone at another table raving about the Summer Pudding, Blueberry Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream (£8), my husband chose that – and I only managed to get a photo of it once he’d tucked straight in.
The Next Morning
After a very comfortable night’s sleep, and surprisingly quiet, considering we were overlooking the High Street, we ventured down to breakfast.
It was a very wet morning, but still the pub was busy with locals popping in for coffee and a snack.
The menu had all the usual suspects, but also some unusual choices such as Brown Crab Hollandaise, English Muffin, Baby Spinach & Poached Eggs (£12) which caught my eye. This was so delicious and perfectly cooked – I commented that half a portion would make a lovely starter too.
My husband chose the Full English – Blythburgh Sausage & Bacon, Mushroom, Black Pudding, Beans, Tomatoes, Eggs and Toasted Sourdough (£13.75) which looked stupendous and was declared so. He chose scrambled eggs and the attention to detail showed here too – they even had chives included.
We chatted with Grace, commenting that Peach Pubs has the right idea about breakfast as there is no wastage from a buffet layout, and the added bonus of time-saving for the staff.
After thanking her and her wonderful team, we headed home, not needing to eat anything else till much later in the day.
It was indeed a very ‘Peachy’ experience, and one I’d thoroughly recommend.
