Real Ale, Real Food & Real Atmosphere are the three most important ingredients that Debbie and Duane (the new owners of the Compasses Inn) consider to be the secret to running a successful inn. So after building up such a reputation with their son Sam over the past two years running the popular New Forest Inn at Emery Down near Lyndhurst, the opportunity arose to bring their own version of pub TLC to The Compasses Inn in Damerham!
We were lucky enough to spend some time at the Compasses in early September and we were able to see at first hand how well Debbie and Duane are progressing with their new project after only twelve weeks ownership.
The first ingredient (and most important as far as my husband is concerned!) is Real Ale. So all the real ale afficionados amongst you will be pleased to hear that there is an excellent selection of lagers and real ales on tap including Ringwood Bitter, Doom Bar from Cornwall and the guest ale – Summer Lightning which is brewed locally in Downton. My husband learnt all about the right and wrong ways to store ale from the very knowledgable Donna – an invaluable member of the local team who have been retained to keep the inn running smoothly. Debbie has also introduced an excellent range of wines which have all been approved by regulars at their other premises, the New Forest I
nn!
The Compasses has been an inn for over 400 years and at one time was virtually self sufficient with its own brewery, coach house, dairy, well and butchery and the garden still contains numerous apple, fig and hazlenut trees together with various herbs. Some of which are used for their delicious home made chutney and special Compasses Garden Apple Crumble underlining Debbie’s enthusiasm for the second and equally important ingredient of Real Food!
Their chefs have undertaken training with the re
nowned Jamie Hiscock – head chef at the New Forest Inn so they are now able to maintain food quality by always having a trained chef on duty. And to compliment this expertise Debbie & Duane are having a brand new kitchen fitted during late September with a much improved and larger oven which will cope better with busy weekends! All dishes are freshly prepared and in addition to their own garden of course, they source much of the ingredients where possible from many other local suppliers! Fish from Poole, bread from the New Forest, cheeses from Cranborne Chase and the Isle of Wight etc.
On to the menu and Debbie is very keen to be totally flexible, so all food orders are taken by hand and can be adapted to suit any dietary requirements, portion size, likes and dislikes etc. (“The computer says no” is not an option at the Compasses!) There is an excellent range of wholesome pub food on the menu including Doorstep Sandwiches, Ploughman’s Snacks (with homemade chutney), Children’s Tuck, Light Snacks & Starters, Main Menu Favourites, a Specials Board featuring fresh and local seasonal dishes which changes daily, and home made Puddings and my husband’s favourite – the Cheeseboard.
“Good portions of Real Food at affordable prices” quotes Debbie!
A diverse range of starters ranging from Tempura Battered Tiger Prawns, Warm Goat’s Cheese & Caramelised Onion Crostini to Compasses Fish Soup made it very difficult to decide, but after much dithering my husband finally chose the Pan Fried Pigeon Breast served with Pine Nuts, Lardons and a Balsamic Glaze. I selected Pan Fried Monkfish Cheeks on Rustic Toast from the Specials Board for starters since fish dishes are now a speciality at The Compasses and I had to agree that they certainly are! My husband’s Pigeon Breast was juicy, succulent and especially tasty with the accompaniments. Not a single Pine Nut remained after I had finished sharing!
Main menu choices were the fresh spicy Monkfish Thai Green Curry for my husband and the Pancetta wrapped Tenderloin of Pork served with Sauté potatoes, a Mustard Cider Gravy and Parsnip Crisps all of which I thought were as delicious individually as they were combined. My husband agreed and it would have been nice if he had left me a few more of the crunchy parsnip crisps which adorned the dish!
Other equally d
electable offerings tempting us on the main menu and specials board included Jamaican Lamb Curry, Cajun Chicken, Sausages of the day, Smoked Haddock and Cheddar Cheese Fish Cakes, 10oz Gammon Steak plus a good range of vegetarian options such as Herb and Ricotta Lasagne, Wild Mushroom Linguine and all with a good selection of extras if you really are absolutely famished!
After such generous portions we felt we had to be slightly awkward and test their flexible approach to the menu. So we requested half portions of Home Made Puddings to give us enough room to sample the cheesboard! A delicious half portion of the Compasses Garden Apple Crumble with Custard was duly consumed together with my favourite Chocolate Brownie which was very definitely melt in the mouth. Mmm and still enough to share fortunately!
My husband’s long awaited cheeseboard didn’t disappoint with a clever selection of local cheeses including Isle of Wight Blue (From Guernsey cow’s milk), Driftwood (Goat’s cheese rolled in charcoal), King’s Favourite (Cranborne smooth with Cider washed rind) and Black Bomber (A Somerset Cheddar). It was suggested we ate these in a specific order (I’ve forgotten which!) to fully appreciate them!
Debbie and her team have certainly got the first two ingredients right so what about the third and final part – the Real Atmosphere? Genuine hops from Kent adorn the bar w
hich is a good start as is the log burning stove, spacious garden with views over the cricket pitch and a superb oak beamed conservatory decorated with all manner of country paraphernalia! Debbie and Duane have given themselves two months to also make various exciting alterations and refurbishments to the other bar and restaurant areas to make them much cosier, so by the end of November they should have masses of real atmosphere to complete the picture.
They also own two beautiful German Shepherds, Sky and Star so this is a very dog-friendly Inn with doggy biccies on the bar! Muddy boots are also just as welcome! Six letting rooms and two holiday cottages are available to rent.
Debbie and Duane’s future plans for the Compasses include a selection of Pies, a Curry night, Pumpkin Carving, Quiz nights, Fireworks Night, Handbags & Gladrags Night as well as Christmas, Boxing Day & New Year’s Eve Dinners. Too many to mention here so I would suggest you check the website for the full menu and all future events:
www.compassesinndamerham.co.uk
So if “Real Ale, Real Food and Real Atmosphere!” is what you want then look no further than The Compasses.
The Compasses Inn, East End, Damerham, Nr Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 3HQ
