Is it just a load of old Bull...?
t was always going to Ibe a tough gig to follow.
James and Mark who
previouslyrantheBullnot only turned out excellentfood from their kitchen, but also somehow managed to win the hearts and minds of the peopleof Olney.
So what of these new people? Are they going to look after the pride of our Market Place or is it going to turn in to a load of old Bull? Well on face value, not much has changed . The decor and ambiance are still very similar. The blackboard in the restaurant still promotes home-cooked food and quality ingredients . The menu , as you would expect, is different. Gone are the six choices of mussels and the bang-on trend , inventive dishes. But, it is a good menu. Mostly gastropub staples - poshed up burgers, fish and chips, ham egg and chips, pie and steak. A full range of stonebaked pizzas. A lovely sound ing spit roast chicken . Some smarter options like slow roasted pork belly and crab linguine. And they do have still have a very gorgeous sounding mussel dish!
You'll recognise the menu from the Narrowboat at Weedon or the White Hart at Maulden. Two good Charles Wells pubs run by the same team. It should mean it's tried and tested and that these guys do know what they're doing. So what was the verdict...
We shared a pate starter - (A Trio of Pork Pate, Shallot Chutney, Crisp Toasts and Pickles £5.95). This threw me a bit. I was expecting three different types of pate, but I think it means pate with three types of pork - it was wrapped in bacon
and had distinctly different textures in the meat. Good strong flavour and an excellent little glass pot of chutney.
For mains we chose the burger (9oz Chop Steak Beef Burger, Sweet Pickle Mayo, Sliced Gherkin, our Home Made Ketchup and Chips £11.95) and the steak and ale pie (Pie of the Day, £11.95). The burger was top notch - a lovely loose texture, moist and flavoursome . I prefer my burger slightly pink in the middle, which this wasn't - but I know a whole lot of people who would send a pink burger back - so I get that. The pie was spot on too. Puff pastry lid, rich tasty gravy, good chunks of meat.
I've heard a lot of talk about the prices. And yes, I did get a shock when I was charged £7.80 for a large glass of red rioja. Generally though the wine prices have gone up by about 40 pence and the beer has stayed the same. A 175ml glass of house red is £4, only 40p more than the Swan. The burger was £2 more than the old Bull's - but came without salad. The pie is about the same price and a £1 more than the Swan's (both get 10 out of 10 by the way), and came with a small side of buttered vegetables. Sign up to their newsletter though and each month you'll get a voucher - this time £15 off the total bill - which pretty much levels the playing field and then some .
We're tough on newbies in Olney. But I reckon this team can weather the storm. Ultimately they 're cooking up some proper food - hearty portions, packed full of taste, for about the price you would expect to pay in a gastropub in a smart market town. They're a new pair of hands for sure. But I'd say they were a safe pair of hands. Our old Bull is going to be OK.
A Trio of Pork Pate, Shallot Chutney , Crisp Toasts and Pickles
Pie of the Day - steak and ale
9oz Chop Steak Burger , Sweet Pickle Mayo, Sliced Gherkin, Home Made Ketchup and chips