The Spread Eagle by McLeod 9

The Spread Eagle is the kind of place that quietly resets your expectations of what a pub can be. Sitting comfortably between nostalgia and finesse, it’s a village local first — pints, scotch eggs, sausage rolls — but one that also happens to serve tasting menus and some of the most thoughtful cooking in the region.

At the helm is chef patron Joe McLeod, whose food is rooted in British tradition with a clear French influence. The approach is confident with refined techniques applied to familiar dishes, always with comfort at the centre. “We’re a pub,” Joe says, and that grounding is felt in every decision.

The now-notorious egg and chips sums it all up. Eggs cooked to exact temperature, finished tableside with a hot potato spuma that gently cooks the yolk as it pours. Every element on the plate celebrates the humble Pink Fir potato — fondant, crisped, aerated — sharpened with vinegar and memory. It tastes like childhood, rebuilt with precision.

Elsewhere, a three-day lamb shoulder arrives meltingly tender, topped with properly addictive lamb scratchings. Scotch eggs are elevated but still soulful, desserts are indulgent without excess, and the tasting menu moves thoughtfully through land, sea and veg without losing its pub DNA.

Front of house is run by Jenny Cruickshanks, who once taught Joe at catering college before being pulled back into hospitality to run the room. The service reflects that shared history — warm, assured, and genuinely welcoming. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels scripted.

There’s a strong local heartbeat here too. Cheeses sourced from nearby producers, chocolates made in-house and handed out at the end of meals, and a clear effort to support the community around it.