So word has it that The Ring O' Bells in Compton Martin attracts superstars like Coldplay and Kylie Minogue, who have played secret gigs there over the years. So, of course, I wanted to pop along and see what the fuss is about.
The Ring O' Bells underwent a major refurbishment last year and is now beautifully done out with wooden tables, exposed stone walls and tan leather seats with upholstered seating - countryside chic.
The place was absolutely buzzing for a Thursday, so good to see and a real testament to what a draw this Butcombe pub is.
Once sat down my eyes were immediately drawn to the clear list of local suppliers being used, great to see businesses supporting one another in this way - and of course fewer miles travelled is better for the countryside too. There weren't too many Somerset ones (three), but there were a number of South West ones (12).
The menu was extensive; interesting but not fussy; good pub food without being too clever.
I was torn for a starter between the salt and pepper calamari, crispy Thai beef salad or the steamed River Fowey mussels in a cider sauce.
The mussels won the day and the crispy salty bacon was a great contrast to the texture of the mussels and the 'zing' of the cider. The leeks for me were a slightly unnecessary addition; the dish was lovely without them and they got in the way a bit when trying to enjoy the sauce, which was fabulous.
My dining companion enjoyed the starter from the specials board which was the pork scotch egg with an apple sauce. He told me it was a great light starter, but also nice and warming and comforting on a cold evening. 'Delicious' he said.
For main course, I enjoyed the ham hock with eggs and piccalilli. The ham was so tender it fell off the bone and the mustard glaze was a sticky delight. In my opinion, eggs are so underrated, they add such a great texture when added to the plate next to many a dish and this is one of those moments. It went surprisingly well with the punchy piccalilli - a favourite accompaniment of mine which I've never thought to put with a hock. Genius.
My dining companion enjoyed the duck leg shepherd's pie, which he described as 'tasty', but a bit of sauce or gravy next time would make it perfect please, he told me.
The sticky red cabbage to go with it was a lovely sweet contrast to the savoury meat and the mash potato.
He was very excited to see such an array of hot puddings on the dessert menu and after a toss-up between sticky date and toffee pudding and apple and pear crumble, the crumble won the day. It was a mixture of a lovely crunchy top and soft, sweet, moreish fruit filling.
It was just a scoop of the delicious Granny Gothards coconut sorbet for me to finish as I was well and truly beaten.
I did manage to try the Tarquin's non-alcoholic gin with a Fever-Tree slimline tonic - it's so good to see a great range of non-alcoholic and other interesting beverages on offer.
I often do reviews where we enjoy the meal but never go back, but we are already talking about when we should return to the Ring O' Bells. The food is great, the atmosphere great and the staff - perfect.
