A nice way in a Manger

John Seery stumbles upon an understated, but good value, west Suffolk pub

I was asked the other day how we pick our places to review. The answer is we try to visit a variety of eating out establishments across the region; some are just opened, new ventures; some are recommended to us and a few are random selections – places we stumble upon while out and about on the highways and byways of Suffolk.The Manger at Bradfield Combust comes into the latter category, (though I once had an excellent ham, egg and chips here) a traditional roadside pub on the A134 between Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds. Up the road the Eagle pub has gone, to be replaced by a furniture showroom and the thatched and immaculate Rushbrooke Arms at Sicklesmere seems to do a storming trade every weekend while the smaller, minding-its-own-business, and not quite so spick and span, Manger appears to miss out a little.My message to anyone who can’t get in at the Rushbrooke is give the Manger a try. In a trade that is turning into a battle for survival, every pub has to get the basics right and this Grade II listed, 15th century pub does that well enough. When we called in one weekend lunchtime there was ample room in the car park and a cheery greeting from the bartender. Actually I’m now wondering whether I can still use the term bartender, perhaps in this day and age it is consumer beverages operative?Anyway, my digression into the nonsense of modern day idioms aside, it is pleasing to note the Manger remains nicely old-fashioned. Heavily beamed with an inglenook fireplace and assorted brasswork on the walls – plus some yesteryear firearms – it looks like a pub (intentionally or not) holding out against the now standardised look of gastropubs the length and breadth of the country.Pale polished wooden floors, subtle terracotta tones on the wall, and open-plan outlooks may be de rigueur but the Manger – in the bar if not the Stable Bistro connected to the pub – is sticking by its swirly-patterned red carpet and traditional bar and drinks optics. In years to come, interior designers will be wanting to recapture this look so if the Manger plays its cards right it will be cutting edge in the 2020s.I don’t mind the look at all and when it’s backed up by friendly, eager to please staff and good standard pub food it makes for a very satisfactory mealtime.We tucked into a fish pie, brimming with fish and not overburdened with potato, Chicken Kiev and Breaded Plaice (served with chips and salad and ample for our children) plus Liver and Bacon and Steak and Kidney Pie, both served with fresh vegetables. Special mentions for the latter two . . . the Liver and Bacon was especially tasty and in a lovely gravy and the pie, piping hot, had plentiful cuts of steak and pieces of kidney. That’s as it should be, of course, but how often have you been to a pub and been able to count the pieces of lean meat in a pie on the fingers of one hand?These substantial main courses were all in the �8-�11 range while lunchtime starters are around �5 and some highly indulgent, home-made puddings are similarly priced. With assorted drinks our bill came to a reasonable �57.70. Though we all had one course, this was not really a light lunch and stretched out over an hour or so.Oh, and still on the subject of pubs hanging on to their yesteryear values, apparently it’s the only Manger pub in the country.

The Manger, Sudbury Road, Bradfield Combust. Tel: 01284 386516.