The Sun Inn
Bedfordshire, Felmersham - Modern British - Pub with rooms - £££
Family-run village pub with strong farming connections
The lively, joyful noise emanating from the crowd in the Sun’s compact bar suggests that this recently rescued country pub is held in high regard by the locals. They’ve much to be thankful for. Not only is the little place a thatched beauty, with real ales and a wood-burning stove among its attractions, but there’s a street-food van outside (‘the Hatch’) and a restaurant at the back dedicated to food from Britain’s countryside – some of it produced on the owners’ nearby farm. Two four-course tasting menus are offered, plus a much-lauded Sunday lunch – a ‘field to fork’ feast with ‘fabulous flavours and textures’ in abundance. Ensconced in the low-lit dining room (net curtains, part-panelled walls), we embarked on the ‘Farmer’s Table’ menu, a sequence of dishes geared to big, outdoor appetites. Thick slices of first-rate bread from a local bakery set the scene, served with ample house-c...
The lively, joyful noise emanating from the crowd in the Sun’s compact bar suggests that this recently rescued country pub is held in high regard by the locals. They’ve much to be thankful for. Not only is the little place a thatched beauty, with real ales and a wood-burning stove among its attractions, but there’s a street-food van outside (‘the Hatch’) and a restaurant at the back dedicated to food from Britain’s countryside – some of it produced on the owners’ nearby farm. Two four-course tasting menus are offered, plus a much-lauded Sunday lunch – a ‘field to fork’ feast with ‘fabulous flavours and textures’ in abundance.
Ensconced in the low-lit dining room (net curtains, part-panelled walls), we embarked on the ‘Farmer’s Table’ menu, a sequence of dishes geared to big, outdoor appetites. Thick slices of first-rate bread from a local bakery set the scene, served with ample house-churned butter liberally scattered with ‘chicken salt’. To follow, the salinity of a succulent piece of hake (cured at a local smokery) was tempered by a zesty pool of verjus and melted butter sauce.
A substantial vegetarian course involved two hefty lumps of accurately cooked beetroot in a plentiful, creamy ajo blanco sauce, while tender pig’s cheeks (from Suffolk) arrived with crisp potato rösti, kale and a deeply savoury gravy laced with local cider, plus a slice of excellent lardo from the owners’ farm. Every dish was well-executed and appealing, although the cumulative effect was somewhat rich and salty.
To finish, we opted for a mousse-like chocolate ‘custard’ scattered with (more) salt and drizzled with olive oil. Quenching relief comes from a drinks list full of intriguing temptations (from local liqueurs to an organic ‘orange’ wine and a fine choice of fizz), while ample tap water is freely supplied by the welcoming, well-trained staff.
VENUE DETAILS
Grange Road
Felmersham
Bedfordshire
MK43 7EU
01234 781355
OTHER INFORMATION
Accommodation, Separate bar, Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly