Put a Ring on it.

The burger is juicy, the bacon is crisp. And the onion rings... Don't even get me started on the onion rings! Well, maybe just a few words...


I'm at the Coventry Arms. A gorgeous little pub, deep in the sticks of Dorset. Settled by a stream and with a local crowd that stroll up for a cold drink and a bite to eat after a game of rugby on a Sunday, it's the idyllic place that people dream of stumbling across as they wander through the countryside.

And that is exactly how we have come across this place. A Sunday drive through the sticks has led to a hunt for a carvery. But, being after 3pm, everywhere has closed down and all the food is gone. And then the Coventry Arms appears. There is no carvery, but there is something even better. Real home cooked pub food, cold cider and a beautiful atmosphere.

Now, back to these onion rings. I'm not normally a huge fan of onion rings. Don't get me wrong, the idea of an onion ring is fantastic. Sweet, juicy onions, with a crunchy, fried outside? Heaven. However, they are always tasteless, rubbery, soggy, greasy and falling apart. So I never tend to order them.

And then I did, and now I have the most beautiful onion rings I have ever witnessed. Crispy, tasty, well seasoned, soft and juicy inside, and they are huge! I mean, I could wear one as a bangle type huge.

Everything else is also beautiful. Brioche buns for the burgers (which were crisped up, hallelujah! - No one wants a soggy bun. Especially not a sugar filled, soggy bun), the chips are chunky and fluffy, the relish is homemade and sweet, and the burgers themselves are the best I have tasted in a long time. but the star of the show are these onion rings.

If you ever do find yourself out in the beautiful countryside of Dorset, make an accidental (slightly on purpose) stumble on the Coventry Arms, and enjoy a beautifully cooked, real Dorset meal. And make sure you order the onion rings.