Visit Stamford in Lincolnshire to find Britain’s Best Town Pub
Discover the Bull & Swan, Stamford’s award-winning pub, celebrated for its outstanding dining, warm atmosphere, and vibrant events, recently crowned Britain’s Best Town Pub.
‘Everything a traditional English pub should be.’ That’s the claim of Stamford’s Bull & Swan on its website. We’d follow that statement up with ‘and more,’ as the place goes well beyond the remit of your average local pub, given the quality of its dining, the warmth of its welcome and a lively events calendar all combining to ensure that locals really have taken the place into their hearts.
Located on Stamford’s High Street St Martin, the Bull & Swan was established within the Grade II* listed 1653 building still owned by the Burghley Estate.
The sister venue of the William Cecil and its bistro, Milly’s, The Bull & Swan was created in 2012 but last November a management buyout saw current owner Paul Brown adopt the place under his Woodford brand which is progressive in its approach to providing modern hospitality in a traditional environment, commensurate with the look and feel of Stamford.
A year on from Paul bringing the Bull & Swan into the Woodford family and it’s safe to say this has been its finest moment.
As Pride goes to press, the team will transform The Potting Shed – the pub’s outdoor drinking and dining space – into a venue in its own right with an Alpine ski chalet feel, with the addition this winter of a dedicated outdoor bar.
Octoberfest on 26th October will mark the transition, debuting new menus of satisfying dishes to enjoy outdoors including bratwurst, fondue and monkey bread – for the uninitiated the latter is a sweet, sticky bread with cinnamon and caramelised sugar.
Adjacent to the outdoor space is a kitchen garden with raised vegetable beds which service both the Bull & Swan and The William Cecil’s Milly’s. Such has been the success of the kitchen garden and Potting Shed/Alpine ‘Ski Chalet,’ alongside the pub itself, that each has organically evolved to achieve its own following over the past couple of years.
The outdoor spaces feature live music and Alpine parties, whilst in the pub itself many local groups like The Stamford College Old Boys have adopted the Bull & Swan as their regular meeting place too.
The pub is open seven days a week with a daytime and evening menu comprising eight ‘snacks’ to graze on, plus four starters, 13 main courses, four puddings and an English cheese board.
Interestingly, the Bull & Swan and Milly’s Bistro at the William Cecil not only co-exist but actually complement each other very well, with regular customers enjoying both establishments, and accommodation guests alternating between the two for their evening meal. The days of pubs providing uninspiring dishes whilst more formal restaurants provide smarter dining are long gone. Today, both the Bull & Swan and Milly’s provide an exceptional experience, albeit with a different feel. The Bull & Swan’s dishes are unfussy dishes, elevated.
Local suppliers include Hambleton Bakery, game is sourced from the Burghley Estate, Grasmere Farm supplies pork and there’s a cheese board curated by Stamford’s Rennet & Rind.
A ‘garden to plate’ philosophy is adopted across a range of satisfying dishes that are traditional but well-executed. That’s thanks to great ingredients but also the skill of Head Chef Jake Parfitt, Executive Head Chef Liam Goodwill and Jake’s five-strong kitchen team.
Such is the Bull & Swan’s success that the Great British Pub Awards sent along a secret shopper and interviewed Paul, ascertaining that the Bull & Swan was worthy of its coveted Best Town Pub title in the Great British Pub Awards.
The Bull & Swan has nine letting rooms, all in the old building with its charming wonky walls and exposed beams. In the pub itself there’s a log burner, tweed and leather furnishings, timber floorboards and stonework with an attractive lived-in patina. It’s all authentic, and all the better for that, especially in winter when it feels particularly cosy and traditional.
Speaking of which, a word too about the very strong Sunday lunch offering. Roast beef sirloin is with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal veg and cauliflower cheese, a winter crowd-pleaser for £26.50.
To accompany there’s a really good selection of real ales including those from Grainstore plus spirits from Lincolnshire’s State of Rum and gin from Mallard Point and Tipplemill.
“We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We’d rather stick faithfully to our town pub remit, but elevate that to a really enjoyable experience,” says Jake. “We love the fact that so many Stamfordians enjoy visiting us, get to know us and build up an authentic relationship with us.”
“It means a lot to us that we provide a really enjoyable experience and serve as an ambassador for Stamford’s values… we’re an independent business providing an enjoyable, quality experience that’s sufficiently welcome and inclusive to ensure that everyone wants to come back… and I think that’s the secret of our popularity.”
Just a couple of months ago, the team were proud to be able to display their AA rosette, awarded to the pub for the quality of its dining. The award underwrites 2024’s Best Town Pub Title in the Great British Pub Awards competition. Quality would be nothing without the warm welcome you’d expect from a great local pub, but that’s abundant too. We’re therefore thrilled that such a lovely team are able to celebrate their success!
We’ve more images and menus of The Bull & Swan to view online, visit www.pridemagazines.co.uk/lincolnshire/view-magazines?magazine=November-2024