Hi Folks,
Looking for a good pub for Sunday lunch about half way between us in Milton Keynes/Northampton and friends in Southend. Somewhere up the M11/ M1 and in the sticks would be great. A traditional sort of place doing a decent roast would fit the bill nicely. I know the area well but with pubs changing hands and going out of business I suspect my decades old insight wont be worth much. I have tried various web searches but it seems to bring up restauranty type places. Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks, Lemma
Last edited by: Pugugly on Fri 10 Sep 10 at 13:02
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My brother lives in Bishops Stortford and his local fits your criteria well. Just along from the Sainsbury in the Thorley area, think its called the Harvest Moon. Plenty of parking, and eating out if it happens to be a nice day.
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The Cock, Hatfield Broad Oak. Good beer, and superb locally made sausages. Haven't been for a couple of years.
The Swan, Thaxted. Cannot speak for beer, but the food was good earlier this year year.
The Bell, Clare.
The Bull, Cavendish
The Queen's Head, Newton. Best beer in Britain, not sure you'll get a roast, though you may on Sunday lunchtimes, but people come for miles for their sandwiches & brown soup.
Tickell Arms Whittlesford. Probably too expensive and restauranty for you. Some of the best food around.
Compasses Littley Green. Superb sandwiches, and beer from the brewery round the corner is superb.
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Slight correction about the Compasses in Littley Green in that it no longer serves beer from the brewery round the corner as that brewery was Ridleys which was bought by Greene King a while back. Subsequently the brewery closed and GK turned most of the Ridleys estate into GK pubs.
The Compasses is still open though (now a free house) and still serving good beer and food.
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I was going to suggest the Cricketer's Arms in Rickling Green but looing at their web pages, it seems to have turned into a restauranty type place since I knew it.
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Thanks all, some terrific suggestions. I tried the pub guide website but many of the write ups are boiler plate script repeated elsewhere, so I was looking for personal recommendations. I agree the Rickling Green "gastropub" is not for me. Gastro and contemporary decor doesnt do it for me! With a preference for more rural than town then I think Mapmaker has hit the spot. I will check these out in more detail, one or two ring a bell from when we lived in Colne Engaine in the late 70s. Now the Five Bells there was always good for a lock-in when Jean was the landlady, but that's another story.
Looking forward to it already, cheers, Lemma
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The Cricketers Arms l does superb food and is still a pub although definitely of the gastro variety. Was there a few months back. Pub is owned by Jamie Olliver's father. Well.recommended.
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Good pub, Bishops Stortford, Saffron Walden area? - BobbyG
