One thing you miss as a kid growing up in the countryside is a good country pub. Bristol as a city has it’s fair share of cosy, firelit boozers that almost do the job, but there really is no emulating a pub just off an A road, in the middle of nowhere that serves decent grub. It reminds me of weekends with my dad, driving out of town for glass bottles of Coke, plenty of room to run about and usually animals to gawp at.
Step forward The Jubilee Inn, located just as you enter Flax Bourton, ticking all the above boxes as well as hosting a decent wine list and an incredible range of gin to boot. The pub was a welcome sight as we came down the road in our taxi, the night was wet and bloody cold so we were cheered by the warm, golden glow from the windows.
We booked a very early dinner at five thirty in the evening so the pub was a little more than empty. We ordered a Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle G&T to start and a good, hearty bottle of red to come later. The menu offers traditional pub grub with a little gastro twist, nothing too fancy that would worry a more conservative diner but a sprinkling of black truffle here, a lobster bisque there in amongst sausage and mash and burgers.
To start I opted for the smoked cod croquettes whilst my partner in dine chose the roast duck salad. My croquettes arrived on a massive piece of slate, which assume wasn’t pinched off a barn down the road, held in place with a generous and punchy smear of garlic mayo and scattered with capers and sliced lemon. The cheesy fish morsels had a subtle smoked flavour running through them and were the perfect portion for a starter. My partner’s duck salad was packed with fresh salad leaves and plenty of glazed, sweet crispy duck. The duck was a little on the dry side sadly but the fabulous gin we were finishing helped solve that problem.
For main I opted for the chicken and bacon pie and my partner, the roasted pork belly.
My pie appeared piping hot with a small helping of mash and some vibrant seamed greens. My piggy heart thought the mash portion to be a little mean, but once I broke the lid of the pie I realised the filling was so generous I wouldn’t need extra. The meat was enveloped in a rich cider and leek sauce that coated everything beautifully, doubly good for me as I don’t like gravy which runs the risk of my food getting dry. My friend’s pork was a huge portion, served beautifully tender and came sat on a portion of mash with fresh sage. The fresh veg and rich a cider and mustard sauce it was served with finished the plate nicely, the veg providing a welcome break from the rich fattiness of the belly and the heat and tang of the sauce providing the same. The fresh sage running through the mash was met with a little trepidation but on tasting, it really complimented the dish.
We were going to forgo pudding as we were both completely full but after some encouragement from one of our servers and assurance it would be out and eaten in time for the taxi home we relented. Sticky toffee pudding with custard was ordered, delivered and eaten with gusto and with no regrets. It was everything you could possibly have wanted from a proper homecooked pud, warm, sweet, sticky and with plenty of custard.
We had a brilliant time at the Jubilee Inn, the staff were wonderfully friendly, the decor warm and the food encompassing what it is to be a country pub, accessible, a little bit special and hearty portions.
To have a look at the menu or book their fab Christmas menu, follow the link!
**This meal was offered free of charge but did not impact on my opinion. The review was not sent to The Jubilee Inn before posting**
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 