Tuesday 24 April 2007

The Bull Hotel at Wargrave, Berkshire


Brakespears ---“Pub of the Year”
There can be few pubs in the Brakspear portfolio more brimful of character than the 600 year-old former coaching that’s the Bull Hotel in Wargrave. Be it the legend of the ghost (reputed to be a previous landlady who giving birth after an illicit an affair who was promptly thrown out by her husband), the delightful hidden garden, or the charming welcome of the present landlady, Jayne Worrall.

A pub tenant for more than twenty years, Jayne has cherished lifelong ambitions for running the Bull, and fulfilled her dreams by returning to this lovely old hotel six years ago. Since then, she has focused her efforts and built a reputation for serious food and high quality accommodation. Aside from the ranks of delighted customers, Jayne’s most recent accolade was to be voted “Brakspear Pub of the Year.”

We arrived early on a mid week evening to find the bar already bustling with drinkers debating the topical issues of the day, always a great sign of a popular well loved establishment. Jayne Worrell is tangibly a talented Landlady – she immediately sought us out on our arrival and made us feel relaxed with a warm comfortable greeting. We were promptly shown to a pretty table in the cosy dining room, adjacent to a huge fireplace, the kind that one would fully expect the errant ghostly former landlady to appear out of.

Being known for my indecision – at least I think so – the choice of two comprehensive menus was almost too much to bear. The first menu was outstanding value from £10.00 per head for two courses (available Monday – Thursday), the second was a more comprehensive menu, but in truth they both looked fantastic. It was really good to hear the considerable pride that Jayne used when telling us that all dishes are produced daily from fresh produce and there is no resorting to mass-prepared bought-in food. Furthermore, wherever possible food is sourced from local suppliers – all of which made the menus even more appetising.

Starters such as Chef’s pate of the day, or warm fanned duck breast salad with mango and lime coulis and Parma ham with smoked chicken. I found the main course choices equally appealing including Pan-fried Tuna steak with a red pepper pesto, or Cumberland sausage with mash, and Chef’s pie of the day – the latter being the kind of robust affair for the most sturdy of appetites.

We eventually chose from the Standard evening menu, which has an impressive selection under the titles, Something Fishy, Something Vegetarian, or Something Else! Plus an delicious looking and varied salad bowl range. It really would be nigh on impossible to not find something to suit. I opted for the interesting sounding Samosas with minted yoghurt, which were exotic and fresh. My fiancé had the deep fried cambozola with a cider and brandy chutney, he loved the homemade chutney, which was tangy and perfect foil for the cheese.

As a main course, I opted for fresh pasta carbonara with garlic bread, and my partner chose the Calves liver and bacon with mash and onion gravy. Both dishes were hearty yet elegantly presented and tasted every bit as good as they looked. Having been informed that the desserts too were all home made, I swiftly veered from “can’t possibly, couldn’t eat another thing” to “OK, I’ll just try some”. Difficult choices again. Apple pie with cinnamon and sultanas? Raspberry meringue roulade? Bananas with ice cream and topped with walnuts and maple syrup? I would have something light and low calorie I thought… but before I knew it, I ordered Warm Chocolate Fudge Brownie with lashings of custard. It was truly heaven sent.

This is not just a traditional pub with great food and drink; it can also be a very comfortable base for guests, with four delightful well-equipped en suite bedrooms, and following a recent refurbishment, the outside now offers large attractive and secluded walled garden. The full main menu will be served here for lunches and supper -- weather permitting! Rooms start from as little as just £45 per night and are all of a high standard enjoying en suite facilities and one complete with four-poster, ideal for romantics.

The food and the atmosphere really did exceed our expectations here at the Bull Hotel, a thriving and successful business, great value dining, and an interesting local haunted pub.

It is still alleged that the cries of the ghost can still be heard whenever she returns weeping and wailing for forgiveness from her spouse – the truth is we secretly know that she has just missed the last Fudge Brownie!!

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