{"id":1189,"date":"2024-10-14T09:23:14","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T09:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/stamford\/?p=1189"},"modified":"2024-10-14T09:23:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T09:23:14","slug":"dining-out-at-the-bull-swan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/food-and-drink\/dining-out-at-the-bull-swan\/10-2024","title":{"rendered":"Dining Out at the Bull & Swan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Congratulations to the team at Stamford\u2019s Bull & Swan who are celebrating an impressive recent win. The Great British Pub Awards has named the High Street St Martins establishment Britain\u2019s Best Town Pub. The news follows its award of an AA rosette at the end of summer and its first anniversary under the custodianship of its new owner Paul Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ufeff\u2018Everything a traditional English pub should be.\u2019 That\u2019s the claim of Stamford\u2019s Bull & Swan on its website. We\u2019d follow that statement up with \u2018and more,\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located on Stamford\u2019s High Street St Martin, the Bull & Swan was established within the Grade II* listed 1653 building still owned by the Burghley Estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sister venue of the William Cecil and its bistro, Milly\u2019s, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A year on from Paul bringing the Bull & Swan into the Woodford family and it\u2019s safe to say this has been its finest moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Pride goes to press, the team will transform The Potting Shed \u2013 the pub\u2019s outdoor drinking and dining space \u2013 into a venue in its own right with an Alpine ski chalet feel, with the addition this winter of a dedicated outdoor bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Octoberfest on 26th October will mark the transition, debuting new menus of satisfying dishes to enjoy outdoors including bratwurst, fondue and monkey bread \u2013 for the uninitiated the latter is a sweet, sticky bread with cinnamon and caramelised sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjacent to the outdoor space is a kitchen garden with raised vegetable beds which service both the Bull & Swan and The William Cecil\u2019s Milly\u2019s. Such has been the success of the kitchen garden and Potting Shed\/Alpine \u2018Ski Chalet,\u2019 alongside the pub itself, that each has organically evolved to achieve its own following over the past couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pub is open seven days a week with a daytime and evening menu comprising eight \u2018snacks\u2019 to graze on, plus four starters, 13 main courses, four puddings and an English cheese board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, the Bull & Swan and Milly\u2019s 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\u2019s provide an exceptional experience, albeit with a different feel. The Bull & Swan\u2019s dishes are unfussy dishes, elevated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Local suppliers include Hambleton Bakery, game is sourced from the Burghley Estate, Grasmere Farm supplies pork and there\u2019s a cheese board curated by Stamford\u2019s Rennet & Rind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A \u2018garden to plate\u2019 philosophy is adopted across a range of satisfying dishes that are traditional but well-executed. That\u2019s thanks to great ingredients but also the skill of Head Chef Jake Parfitt, Executive Head Chef Liam Goodwill and Jake\u2019s five-strong kitchen team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such is the Bull & Swan\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s a log burner, tweed and leather furnishings, timber floorboards and stonework with an attractive lived-in patina. It\u2019s all authentic, and all the better for that, especially in winter when it feels particularly cosy and traditional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u00a326.50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To accompany there\u2019s a really good selection of real ales including those from Grainstore plus spirits from Lincolnshire\u2019s State of Rum and gin from Mallard Point and Tipplemill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to reinvent the wheel. We\u2019d rather stick faithfully to our town pub remit, but elevate that to a really enjoyable experience,\u201d says Jake. \u201cWe love the fact that so many Stamfordians enjoy visiting us, get to know us and build up an authentic relationship with us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means a lot to us that we provide a really enjoyable experience and serve as an ambassador for Stamford\u2019s values\u2026 we\u2019re an independent business providing an enjoyable, quality experience that\u2019s sufficiently welcome and inclusive to ensure that everyone wants to come back\u2026 and I think that\u2019s the secret of our popularity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a couple of months ago, the team were proud to be able to display their AA\u2008rosette, awarded to the pub for the quality of its dining. The award underwrites 2024\u2019s Best Town Pub Title in the Great British Pub Awards competition. Quality would be nothing without the warm welcome you\u2019d expect from a great local pub, but that\u2019s abundant too. We\u2019re therefore thrilled that such a lovely team are able to celebrate their success!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bull &\u2008Swan on St Martins, Stamford<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SNACKS<\/strong>
B&S scotch egg, black pudding, pork crumb, apple sauce and mustard, \u00a37.
Camembert topped with mac & cheese, bacon bits, chutney, bread, \u00a316.
Hambleton sourdough, butter, \u00a35.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STARTERS<\/strong>
Chicken liver parfait, chutney, toast \u00a39.50.
Mussels, \u2018nduja, sourdough, \u00a310.50.
Butternut squash, miso glaze and seeds \u00a39.50.
Jerusalem artichoke, mozzarella, radicchio, \u00a39.50.
Curried crispy chicken thigh, \u00a37.
Cod cheek scampi, tartare sauce, \u00a37.
Mushroom arancini, truffle mayo, \u00a37.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAIN COURSES<\/strong>
\u2018The Bull\u2019 burger with two\u00a0\u00a0smashed patties, fig jam, black truffle relish, crispy onions, crispy bacon, cheese, steamed brioche bun, gherkin, skinny fries, \u00a318.50.
Fish and chips, curry sauce, mushy peas, tartare sauce, \u00a320.
8oz sirloin steak, sauce Diane, confit tomatoes, rosemary fries, \u00a328.
Cod loin, Morteau sausage, beans, chicken butter sauce, \u00a324.
Braised lamb shoulder, herb crumb, kale, chips, \u00a323.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DESSERTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple tarte tartin, vanilla ice cream, \u00a39.50.
Spotted dick and custard, \u00a39.
Pineapple fritter, rum \u2018n\u2019 raisin ice cream sundae, \u00a39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NB: Sample menu and featured dishes, subject to availability and change.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bull & Swan on St Martins, Stamford<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pitch: <\/strong>\u201cJust as an inn should be, cosy and unpretentious, where the ale is real, and the food is comfortingly traditional. With outdoor spaces inspired by Alpine ski lodges promising comfort all winter long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening Hours: <\/strong>Monday \u2013 Saturday 12 – 11pm (food served 12 \u2013 2.30pm, 5 \u2013 8.30pm). Sunday 12pm \u2013 10.30pm (food served until 7pm)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bull & Swan, St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LJ.
Call 01780 766412 or see www.thebullandswan.co.uk.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to the team at Stamford\u2019s Bull & Swan who are celebrating an impressive recent win. The Great British Pub…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[739,41,70,26,25,28,382],"class_list":["post-1189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-and-drink","tag-bull-and-swan","tag-food","tag-local","tag-pub","tag-restaurant","tag-stamford","tag-william-cecil"],"acf":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/rutland-and-stamford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}