There was an amber warning for extreme heat in place when I walked into the lovely beer garden at The Farrington. The cloudless sky was azure blue, the cider was ice cold and there couldn’t have been a more perfect setting on a roasting August afternoon - so where were all the lunchtime customers?
In the dining room, that’s where, although I suspect it wasn’t simply the relative coolness of the pub’s restaurant area that was keeping the older customers inside. The ridiculously good value Lunch Club menu must have had something to do with it.
This large roadside pub in the pretty village of Farrington Gurney - less than 30 minutes’ drive from central Bristol on a good day - serves food all day. Arrive in time for breakfast and you can take advantage of ‘Great British deals’ such as two large full English breakfasts for £12 rather than the individual £8.49 price tag.
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Visit later in the day, and into the evening, and there is an extensive menu on offer, many with the same ‘Great British deals’ logo next to the prices. These include gammon steak with egg, pineapple, chips and peas for £10.49 (or two for £16) and beef chilli with tortilla chips and white rice for £8.49 (or two for £12).
But it was the Monday to Saturday Lunch Club menu that was clearly the draw when I visited. A main course costs £7.49 or you can add a dessert for an extra £2.
Options include ham, egg and chips; cottage pie, vegetables and gravy; small Ploughman’s Scotch egg, ham, Cheddar and salad with ciabatta and butter. Spend an extra £1 and you can go for the 5oz rump steak with chips, peas, tomato and mushroom.
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When it comes to dessert, there’s fruit crumble and custard, ice cream sundae, profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce and cream or gluten-free sticky toffee pudding and custard. Proper old school puds and, thankfully, no menus displaying calorie counts for each dish.
At a time when we are all having to tighten our belts, deals such as these are sure to prove especially popular. You’re still likely to get change out of £14 for two courses even if you order one of the premium beers, although free tea, coffee or fruit juice is included in the price.
My pint of Inch’s cider was only £3.60. That must be one of the cheapest pints I’ve ordered for months. Other draught beers and ciders on offer include Amstel, Foster’s, Birra Moretti, Heineken Silver, Orchard Thieves cider and Murphy’s Stout. That’s the first time I’ve seen draught Murphy’s in a pub for years and well worth returning for on a cool autumn day after a long country walk.
Owned by Apple Tree Inns, this old pub occupies a prime location next to a Texaco garage and opposite a Co-Op supermarket on the road to Wells. Even more conveniently for those of us who enjoy buses, the 376 from Bristol stops opposite and the return stop is just outside.
As I sat in the blazing sun nursing my cold pint of cider, the app on my phone alerted me to the fact the next bus back to Bristol had been ‘cancelled’. Another quick pint beckoned, but next time I’ll plan my visit around the bus timetable and stay for that Lunch Club - it sounds far too good a bargain to rush.
The Farrington, Bristol Road, Farrington Gurney, BS39 6TG. Tel: 01761 453033.
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