Dining Out at The Bustard Inn
Dining fit for a king this month as we enjoy a return visit to The Bustard Inn in the village of South Rauceby near Sleaford
November sees King Charles III’s birthday, so no doubt he’ll be looking for a place to celebrate the occasion and enjoy dining out with the family. I wonder if he might consider booking a table at his favourite Lincolnshire pub. In the event he does so, he’ll find that the level of dining on offer is fit for a king, now more than ever.
Back in 1971 His Majesty began his military career at RAF Cranwell where he trained as a jet pilot. Apparently his preferred country pub was South Rauceby’s Bustard Inn, constructed in 1860. Adjacent to the pub itself was a malthouse and brewery to satiate the estate workers’ thirst.
The namesake of the place is Bustard Hill (actually Tom Lane), colloquially-named by locals as it was one of the last places in the UK where one of the remaining examples of the portly 20kg Great Bustard was shot, rendering the bird almost extinct.
Efforts have been made in recent years to reintroduce the species into Britain. The Great Bustard population now numbers over 100, and by 2019 they were breeding at a level which will sustain the population of the birds.
Meanwhile a similar conservation effort was made to ensure The Bustard Inn’s continued presence in the county back in April 2007. That’s when the Grade II listed pub’s previous owners embarked upon a comprehensive refurbishment of the building. This included sandblasting the coursed limestone walls and restoring the flagstones in the bar and landscaping the elevated grounds.
The couple who embarked on the renovation ran the place until their retirement in 2018 but they’re now on the other side of the bar, free to enjoy the exceptional hospitality and great dining offered by current owners Lesley & Julian Lonsdale and their Head Chef Phil Lowe.
Today, The Bustard Inn remains one of the best dining pubs in Lincolnshire, one keen to ensure villagers always feel at home but also welcoming diners who travel from Sleaford, Boston, Grantham, Lincoln, Newark and from out of the county to enjoy some truly exceptional dishes.
The result is a place which feels like your friendly local, even if you’re not a resident of South Rauceby, and a dining experience of sufficient quality that it was underwritten with the awarding of a second AA rosette in May 2023 following a surprise visit from inspectors.
Today, dining is provided during the daytime with a menu of sandwiches and sides, with a dedicated menu for Sunday lunch service which provides one, two or three courses for £20, £26 and £32 respectively.
Star of the show on Sunday is roasted rump of beef with Yorkshire pudding, horseradish hollandaise, roasted potatoes and cauliflower cheese. There’s also an alternative of roast Grasmere pork loin, too, with sage & onion stuffing and mustard seed relish.
À la carte dining at lunchtime and in the evening is available from Wednesday to Saturday and provides a carefully curated choice of six starters and eight main courses.
These range from high quality interpretations of traditional British favourites from a beer-battered fish ‘n’ chips option and dry-aged sirloin steak, to à la carte dishes such as our featured breast of Gressingham duck and rump of lamb.
In respect of desserts, a range of homemade treats are available, including roasted pineapple and raspberry Eton Mess; a really good, rich chocolate brownie… or, if you’re so inclined, ‘milk ‘n’ cookies’ which comprises a Baileys and Biscoff milkshake with homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Local suppliers are favoured where quality permits and as for the dining room itself, tapestry chairs, solid oak furniture, and the soaring ceilings of the former malthouse combine to create a very pretty environment with a posh – but very friendly – rustic feel.
There’s a private dining room too, finished in The Bustard Inn’s trademark Bancha green, ideal for private dining in advance of the festive season. But really, there’s no need to have a particular celebration in mind; a visit to The Bustard Inn is always an occasion in and of itself. With exceptional hospitality and dining fit for a King, we’re of course delighted to recommend autumn dining at this entirely excellent quality pub restaurant.
On The Menu at The Bustard Inn
STARTERS
Antipasto board (for two) with charcuterie, feta cheese, sun blushed tomatoes, stuffed olives, warm garlic & rosemary focaccia, £17 or £8/supplement with whole baked baby Camembert.
Pressed confit duck & black pudding terrine with pineapple & mango chutney and toasted truffle brioche, £10.
Pan-fried scallops with cumin-spiced cauliflower pannacotta, warm broad bean & chorizo vinaigrette, £16.
Smoked haddock with Lincolnshire rarebit, heritage tomato & chive salad, £12.
MAIN COURSES
Breast of Gressingham duck with cassis boulangère, creamed leeks, roast Chantenay carrots, red wine & cherry sauce, £35.
Rump of lamb with Bustard Inn herb garden gremolata, ratatouille, roasted new potatoes and buttered spinach, £34.
Fillet of beef with mushroom & truffle purée, jacket potato champ, crispy parma ham, parmesan fleuron, buttered cabbage and madeira sauce, £39.
Beer-battered fish & chips with minted mushy peas, tartare sauce and chunky ketchup, £17.
DESSERTS
Roasted pineapple and raspberry Eton mess with vanilla mascarpone, £9.
Milk and cookies with Baileys & Biscoff milkshake and homemade chocolate chip cookies, £7.
Selection of Lincolnshire cheeses with quince, homemade chutney and biscuits, £12.
NB: Sample menu and featured dishes, subject to availability and change.
The Bustard Inn at South Rauceby
The Pitch: “A beautiful Grade II listed stone building in South Rauceby with a welcoming bar, characterful fine dining restaurant and open fires for autumn and winter dining”.
Opening Hours: Lunchtime: 12–2.30pm, Wednesday–Friday. Evening: 5.30pm–10.30pm, Wednesday–Friday. Saturday: 12–10.30pm. Sunday: 12–4pm.
The Bustard Inn, Main Street, South Rauceby, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 8QG.
Call 01529 488250 or see www.thebustardinn.co.uk.