Restaurants in Rutland and Stamford: The White Hart, Ufford

A great setting, a genuinely warm welcome and really nice quality pub restaurant dining are the hallmarks of The White Hart at Ufford, a sincere recommendation for spring dining this month!

You can spot it a mile off. The difference between a pub or a restaurant that’s going through the motions, and one that is genuinely invested in being the best it can, keen to offer its customers a really enjoyable experience. We’re happy to report that The White Hart in Ufford is in the latter camp.

There’s a profound pleasure in visiting a really good pub, a fact not lost on Mark, Kevin, Andy and Andy (The Boys). The four locals were dismayed at the prospect of losing their village pub back in 2021. And so, they banded together and purchased the place. Pooling many years of experience (albeit from their preferred side of the bar), they were determined to rescue the place from closure despite having no operational experience in the profession.

That was four years ago in January. And since then, the place has not just survived, it has thrived and has gone from strength to strength, offering a convivial and friendly pub environment, excellent restaurant dining and some beautifully refurbished rooms, welcoming not just locals but guests from much further afield too.

For three of those years, the place has also greatly benefitted from the presence of General Manager Dan Wade, who comes from Stamford and definitely understands what customers want from their local pub restaurant.

The building dates back to the 17th century and it’s Grade II listed. It has been a pub for about 120 years, and a significant refurbishment, when the four local men took the place over, has seen the place transformed with considerable input from interior designer Annie Alison. 

Barnack limestone walls, flagstones in the bar, open fires, beams, and twinkling fairy lights are all present and correct. There’s a really traditional looking bar, a lounge area, then a smaller restaurant plus a large, light orangery. In total the place can accommodate about 85 diners plus an additional 25 in the bar. There is also a space for private dining or functions, named The Stag, and there are 12 bedrooms too, some in the main building, some in the adjacent stable block and brewery, each of which has been subject to recent refurbishment as part of a rolling programme of works. 

The White Hart is set in a plot of over three and a half acres, which includes a couple of terraces and garden areas with seating, arranged over a few different levels, as well as a decent-sized paddock. 

In the warmer months that means children can enjoy a run around outdoors (there’s a park and playground next door to the garden). Likewise, dogs also have somewhere to stretch their legs… and the bar is dog friendly with water, treats and doggy ice cream all available.

As for the grown-ups, you’re equally well accommodated with a range of menus and the choice of dining in the bar, restaurant or the orangery. 

The White Hart is open seven days a week and for midweek lunchtime diners there’s a permanent Lunch for Less menu which offers one, two or three courses for £12, £17.50 and £23 respectively. There are two or three choices per course, and then on Sunday, a dedicated lunch menu with a choice of roasts served with all the trimmings.

The mainstay of the restaurant, though, is its à la carte menu which is available during both lunch and evening service with tapas-inspired nibbles, six starters, five pub classics, six à la carte mains and five desserts.

The White Hart has more menus than some restaurants have main courses, and we haven’t even mentioned the courtyard menu with its nibbles and wood-fired pizzas, or the sandwiches and salads menu available at the bar… or the dedicated children’s menu.

Suffice to say you’re never stuck for choice and nor does that choice come at the expense of having your food cooked freshly to order,  because, commendably, the team of five chefs make everything in-house.

Bread, pasta, desserts, ice creams and sorbets are all made in the kitchen by Head Chef Benaissa (Ben) El Akil who in a previous life was a personal chef to Saudi royalty, bringing all of his expertise to bear, with dishes fit for a Crown Prince, right across the menus.

The effort that the kitchen goes to is extensive,  right down to making the homemade flapjacks served with coffee after your meal.

Peterborough-based butchers R&P Meats provide matured beef sirloin, lamb, pork and local poultry. Kale & Damson provide fresh ingredients including fruit and veg. The restaurant has daily deliveries of fresh fish – everything from cod to clams, seabass to scallop – courtesy of Fish Rich.

Regular evenings planned throughout 2026 include curry nights, pie nights and quiz nights, whilst there are three key events in The White Hart’s calendar: a summer solstice in June, a dog show and cider festival in August and Bonfire Night too. 

It was really quite a brave move for The Boys to take on The White Hart, having no previous expertise in hospitality beyond consumption.  And the place isn’t exactly modest in size.

There are plenty of covers, rooms, it’s popular for events and private dining, and during Christmas week, no fewer than 1,400 diners kept the team extremely busy. It’s especially commendable, then, that the place isn’t just successful, it’s absolutely exceeding expectations in terms of providing a warm welcome. You can enjoy consistent service, there’s no end of choice for diners and dishes are made with plenty of skill and beautifully presented in house. The whole team, including Head Chef Ben and General Manager Dan are all doing a fantastic job.

A visit is highly recommended, not just because of the superb food and great surroundings, but because of the warm welcome you’ll receive from a team that genuinely deserves to enjoy much success.

On the Menu at The White Hart
Starters: 
Ham hock terrine, with fig relish, globe artichoke salad, piccalilli and homemade bread, £11.
Roasted beetroot and mozzarella di Campana, with plum tomatoes, pesto, rocket salad, £11.
Mediterranean warm partridge Salad with Broad beans, French beans, baby gem lettuce, honey mustard dressing, £12.
À la carte:
Roasted Gressingham guineafowl, with breast and leg, creamy mash potatoes, braised red cabbage glazed carrots, red wine jus, £27.50.
Braised Jacob’s Ladder beef ribs, with pancetta, garlic mash, honey glazed carrots, mushroom ragout, red wine jus, £25.
Maple glazed slow-roasted rolled pork belly with pommes purée, pak choi, Vichy carrots, crispy bacon, cider jus, £26.
Pub Classics:
Pie of the Day with creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and gravy, £19.50.
Fish & chips, with beer-battered cod, chips, tartare sauce, crushed peas and lemon, £21.
The White Hart beef burger with tomato relish, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, with fries, and  coleslaw, £19.50.
Desserts:
Cafe Gourmand, comprising homemade apple and cinnamon pie, chocolate moussewith berry compote, chocolate coated ginger shortbread, £10.
Chocolate bread and butter pudding, crème anglaise, £10.
NB: Sample menu and featured dishes, subject to availability and change.

The White Hart
Ufford, near Stamford
The Pitch: “With a long and well thought of reputation The White Hart aims to provide great food, well-kept beer and fantastic service. The White Hart has once again been set on a course to forge her own place as a destination eatery and place to stay and you are invited to come along.”
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 8am–11pm, Sunday 8am–9pm. Breakfast 8am-10.30am; lunch
12pm–3pm; dinner 6pm–9pm. Sunday lunch 12pm–6pm.
The White Hart: Ufford, Stamford, PE9 3BH. Call 01780 740250 or see www.whitehartufford.co.uk.