'I visited a cosy Cambs pub and found authentic Italian pizza served alongside pints'
When the afternoons are dark and the weather is frosty, I tend to crave foods I know and love, rather than anything too 'out-there' or fancy. So, when I walked into The Haymakers on High Street, Chesterton, during a pitch-black Wednesday afternoon in January, I was hoping to find a pizza menu packed with Italian classics.
What I was certainly not hoping for was a concoction like the one Pizza Pilgrims served my colleague Amy in September: an Asian-inspired Italian fusion pizza, drizzled with soy sauce and sprinkled with rice noodles. The order of the day was ordinary. Despite his three Michelin stars, I hoped Heston Blumenthal's innovative spirit would play no part in The Haymakers' dishes.
The interior of the pub has a traditional feel, with wooden beams lining the ceiling and fireplaces at either end of the building, but a closer look revealed the quirkiness of the décor. Above my table sat a collection of miniature ships, a black and white photo of a moth, and a parrot model painted in vibrant colours.
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Thankfully, when I picked up the menu from the bar, I found that the food followed the pub's more traditional side – though, of course, the cuisine was classic Italian while the pub was classic English in style. The pizzas ranged from £12 (for a Margherita) to £16.50, and were topped with ingredients like mozzarella, oregano, olives and Parma ham.
I chose a Napoletana, a £14.50 pizza topped with anchovies, olives, oregano and garlic. The menu warned that it did not include cheese and, while Aromi in Cambridge convinced me this was not a required ingredient for pizza, I had been looking forward to the saltiness and stringiness of melted mozzarella. So, I paid an extra £1 to add it.
My plate-sized pizza arrived around 20 minutes later, looking authentically Italian with its thin base and rustic shape. As I bit into the first slice, I found that the rich, tomato sauce, with its hint of oregano, contrasted deliciously with the briny anchovies.
The crust border was pleasantly crunchy, and I was glad to find 12 olives scattered among the anchovies, meaning every other mouthful brought with it the mellow saltiness of black olives. The melted cheese added an indulgence to the meal, and created the stringiness I had been craving.
For traditional Italian pizza in a cosy pub with character, The Haymakers is a top-notch spot. It is also perfect for those in need of a meal later in the night: the kitchen is open until 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and until 9pm on Sunday.
The pub's opening times are as follows:
Monday–Thursday: 12pm–11pm (food served: 12pm–3pm and 5pm–10pm)
Friday: 12pm–12am (food served: 12pm–3pm and 5pm–10pm)
Saturday: 12pm–11pm (food served: 12pm–10pm)
Sunday: 12pm–10pm (food served: 12pm–9pm).
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