Friday 31 May 2013

The Blue Bell- Glinton, Cambridgeshire

Since the 18th century, The Blue Bell has been situated at the heart of Glinton, a small village in Cambridgeshire. As an idyllic village pub, The Blue Bell offers open fires, exposed beams and the best of local cuisine. Of course, we can't compare a small pub to those swanky London restaurants, but I would suggest that after my visit, most would walk away from The Blue Bell happy wherever the location!
Having lived in Glinton as a youngster and still moving back there during the summer and christmas periods, its safe to say I have seen a fair share of owners at The Blue Bell and the food has not always been the best (to say the least). So when Nick and Brigette Frankgate took over ealier this year, the need to maintain The Blue Bell's traditional place in the village whilst also meeting the demand for good quality food was not a easy task. So how have they got on?

I opted for an interesting starter that seemed to jump off of the menu- Grasmere Black Pudding, Bacon, Poached Egg and Hollandaise sauce. It may not sound too exciting, but the chef managed to take something of a plain dish and really make it special. The black pudding (supplied by a local farm) was like no other I had ever tasted before and the perfect poached egg saw yolk ooze over the plate.

For the main, something a bit special! Slow Cooked Pork Belly, Creamed Leeks, Buttered Carrots, Parmentier Potatoes and a Madeira Jus. If the explanation or presentation didn't do it, then I can assure you that the succulent meat and flavoursome leeks sure did.


For dessert, I indulged myself into a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream and Toffee Sauce. It may not be a dessert that can really impress, but it can certainly be done badly, so all credit to a solid finish to the three courses.

As the restaurant section was full to the brim and people were even opting to eat in the pub section, I believe this says a lot for a Monday night in a little village pub! Double it up for two and add on a couple of drinks and coffees, and you leave with a pocket only £50 lighter. No complaints there!

This is certainly the best food The Blue Bell has produced in the last ten years and is definitely setting the bar for high quality food in the surrounding areas. It's certainly on par with the best local pub The Pack Horse and best local restaurant The Cherry House (Reviews to follow).

Considering that its a small village pub, The Blue Bell is 'punching above its weight' when it comes to food- an 8/10 in the local area.

No comments:

Post a Comment