Review: The Bell At Sapperton
Good old pubs. I firmly believe that these little boltholes of refreshment, nourishment and conviviality are what make our nation great. Done well, they can rival even the finest of restaurants.
The Bell At Sapperton, nestled in the Cotswolds, is one such establishment. Once a dingy building for crusty old gentleman, it has recently been transformed into an upmarket yet unpretentious destination for families, students and young professionals alike. I escaped London on a gloriously sunny day to see where all the well-heeled Cotswolds types hang out at the weekend.
The pub is fronted by enormous Veuve Clicquot umbrellas, which set the tone nicely, and inside the décor is a tasteful mix of exposed brickwork, wooden floors and majestic photos of polo players (the pub sponsors a local polo team). Manager Nick Steele also has plans to create a large café-cum-play area at the back for children, and there are little jars of dog biscuits adorning the mantelpiece creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. It is a tricky thing to strike the balance between refinement and informality, but The Bell At Sapperton does it with aplomb.
It is worth asking for James at the bar. He is the resident cocktail maker (or mixologist, for trendy types) and he can whip up a variety of off-menu concoctions. I was driving so eschewed the fizzy stuff for a bespoke strawberry limeade, which looked and tasted divine.
Carson Hill, who was headhunted for the position of Head Chef, is in charge of the regularly changing menu. Seasonality and provenance are big here, but not to the extent that they would ‘compromise on flavour’, I’m proudly informed. If Aberdeen Angus beef is the best available, for example, they’ll jolly well go to Scotland.
As you would expect from this approach, the menu is a mixture of pub classics and dishes with a bit of flair. Starter-wise, the confit of duck leg is a must-try. The richness of the meat is cut brilliantly by the saltiness of the Asian dressing – it’s the sort of dish that would impress you in a highfaluting London restaurant, let alone a country pub.
The main courses follow suit. Special mention must go to the rump of new season lamb (Nick could even tell me which farmer it came from) which was, without question, the most tender bit of meat I have had in living memory. The Cox chicken breast and chips is essentially a smart taste on fast food – the breast is smothered in salty, sweet, palate-pleasing barbeque sauce, while the chips pass the essential quality test of snapping rather than bending under duress (if you’re going to have chips, they may as well be done the proper way i.e. fried in duck fat). For a vegetarian option, the leek and cheese crumble is a simple yet delicious dish, and it comes with no less than five different types of carrots (depending on seasonality, of course).
Portions are ample but it’s worth saving room for dessert too. The buttermilk and elderflower pudding is unusual and, as sweet endings go, really rather light. With the consistency of something resembling a fool, is manages to be creamy, tart and sweet all at the same time.
The pub also hosts lots of themed evenings to keep things buzzing during the week. On Mondays, for example, they hold a ‘School Night’, where they serve good old bangers and mash, donating £1 from every dish to the local school.
And therein lies the charm. At the risk of sounding trite, The Bell At Sapperton has the heart of a country local with the finesse of a London eatery. If that isn’t reason enough to venture to the Cotswolds, I don’t know what is.
www.bellsapperton.co.uk
The Bell At Sapperton, nestled in the Cotswolds, is one such establishment. Once a dingy building for crusty old gentleman, it has recently been transformed into an upmarket yet unpretentious destination for families, students and young professionals alike. I escaped London on a gloriously sunny day to see where all the well-heeled Cotswolds types hang out at the weekend.
The pub is fronted by enormous Veuve Clicquot umbrellas, which set the tone nicely, and inside the décor is a tasteful mix of exposed brickwork, wooden floors and majestic photos of polo players (the pub sponsors a local polo team). Manager Nick Steele also has plans to create a large café-cum-play area at the back for children, and there are little jars of dog biscuits adorning the mantelpiece creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. It is a tricky thing to strike the balance between refinement and informality, but The Bell At Sapperton does it with aplomb.
It is worth asking for James at the bar. He is the resident cocktail maker (or mixologist, for trendy types) and he can whip up a variety of off-menu concoctions. I was driving so eschewed the fizzy stuff for a bespoke strawberry limeade, which looked and tasted divine.
Carson Hill, who was headhunted for the position of Head Chef, is in charge of the regularly changing menu. Seasonality and provenance are big here, but not to the extent that they would ‘compromise on flavour’, I’m proudly informed. If Aberdeen Angus beef is the best available, for example, they’ll jolly well go to Scotland.
As you would expect from this approach, the menu is a mixture of pub classics and dishes with a bit of flair. Starter-wise, the confit of duck leg is a must-try. The richness of the meat is cut brilliantly by the saltiness of the Asian dressing – it’s the sort of dish that would impress you in a highfaluting London restaurant, let alone a country pub.
The main courses follow suit. Special mention must go to the rump of new season lamb (Nick could even tell me which farmer it came from) which was, without question, the most tender bit of meat I have had in living memory. The Cox chicken breast and chips is essentially a smart taste on fast food – the breast is smothered in salty, sweet, palate-pleasing barbeque sauce, while the chips pass the essential quality test of snapping rather than bending under duress (if you’re going to have chips, they may as well be done the proper way i.e. fried in duck fat). For a vegetarian option, the leek and cheese crumble is a simple yet delicious dish, and it comes with no less than five different types of carrots (depending on seasonality, of course).
Portions are ample but it’s worth saving room for dessert too. The buttermilk and elderflower pudding is unusual and, as sweet endings go, really rather light. With the consistency of something resembling a fool, is manages to be creamy, tart and sweet all at the same time.
The pub also hosts lots of themed evenings to keep things buzzing during the week. On Mondays, for example, they hold a ‘School Night’, where they serve good old bangers and mash, donating £1 from every dish to the local school.
And therein lies the charm. At the risk of sounding trite, The Bell At Sapperton has the heart of a country local with the finesse of a London eatery. If that isn’t reason enough to venture to the Cotswolds, I don’t know what is.
www.bellsapperton.co.uk