I tried the best gastropub in Sussex and one dish stood out

Those who scour the menu days in advance to make their choices, and those who, spontaneous yet crippled with indecision, need the pressure of a waiter stood next to them to pick their order.

Usually I’m firmly in the latter camp.

But ahead of my trip to The George in Burpham I thought I’d peruse the options available.

The gastropub had just been named one of the 100 best in the UK - Sussex’s sole representative on the list by Estrella Damm.

I was reminded why I don’t tend to look in advance when I saw the options: sole with caper butter; date and molasses roast duck;  slow cooked beef ragu... my brain began spiralling into a confused daze.

So many delicious options.

A winding drive through country lanes and a farm saw me reach my destination: the whitewashed village pub backing on to some wonderful views of Arundel from across sprawling hills.

But there was trouble in paradise, I soon realised when I walked in.

Through a series of unfortunate events, the head chef had dislocated his knee, meaning they were only serving a reduced menu.

“But don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re well fed today,” said my lovely host.

I improvised and ordered a tapas-style selection of starters: a venison scotch egg with quince mayo and dressed fennel salad; scallop with chorizo and a cauliflower cream and a small portion of the Jerusalem artichoke soup.

The soup was an afterthought, chosen after getting food envy when I overheard a lady and her mother ordering a bowl each moments before me.

But it turned out to be the most delicious of the three: rich, earthy, savoury but also with a hint of sweetness that made it incredibly moreish.

In a perverse way, the reduced menu helped take away my indecision when it came to choosing a main course, as there was only one available: the classic pub ploughman's.

The pork pie was well-seasoned and well tasty - and was getting similar reviews from diners in the window table next to mine.

Pickles were plentiful in their variety. On my plate was an onion, a girthy gherkin, cornichons and pickled fennel in the salad.

But I could have done with another meat and cheese option.

Even though the Serrano ham and Brighton blue were delicious, I was hankering for a hunk of Cheddar or similar.

The bread also could have been a touch fresher, and the butter served at room temperature rather than fridge-cold - but given the circumstances, it was still a tasty meal.

While it felt acceptable to have several starters, opting for multiple puddings seemed greedy.

But that has not stopped me before, and it didn't here either.

I was torn between the sticky date pudding, one of my favourites, and the deep fried custard with rhubarb and almond ice cream - a risky but potentially delicious choice.

Of the two, the latter was preferable; with a crisp doughnut shell, the tart rhubarb cut through the richness.

Considering the timing of my visit was not ideal, I was still impressed by the food, particularly the starters.

In fact, by the time I was eating the custard, I found my mind wandering back to that soup.

So I had to ask my host what was in it.

It turns out it was made with a mirepoix - a fancy French way of saying diced onion, carrot and celery sweated down as a base - which was responsible for the moreish sweetness.

To this the chef added cumin, parsley, and lemon juice along with the roasted roots for a truly mouth-watering bowlful.

Sometimes, simplicity really is best - and with this kind of cooking, I had a glimpse of The George at its full powers.