31 Dec 2024
James Cameron gets his walking boots on to visit the country pub…
John Bunyan, the man not the pub, was a preacher who roamed these parts four hundred years ago and who wrote the clumsy allegory ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’. To honour him, we made our own pilgrimage to the pub that bears his name located in pleasing idyllic Coleman Green, out past Sandridge.
Ruddy-cheeked and muddy-booted, we were given a fine welcome at this delightful country pub.
This welcome was probably enhanced by the fact that we were visiting with a local celebrity.
The dog that we had co-walked to the pub was well known, and seemingly well loved, by both staff and fellow patrons, but you did get the sense that any canine companion would grant you instant access to the inner circle here. As a sign of what high regard man’s best friend is held at the John Bunyan they had dog portraiture taking place outside, and watching the photographer trying to get excitable pups to pose for him was worth the walk on its own.
Even for those who are less hairy and walk on two legs it is a lovely place to be. Transitioning from the windy exterior to a world of warmth by a roaring fire is a balm to the soul and one of my favourite things about winter. This feeling is enhanced still further if the place you enter stocks a wide range of beers, which was the case here, including from the Three Brewers just down the road.
For those less interested in beer you can instead choose to be warmed by some mulled wine to get you into the festive spirit.
The menu is mainly standard pub grub, but that is precisely what is needed when you need to replenish your carb levels after a long walk, specifically deep fried carbs. They do have vegan options, and in fact the chef very kindly came out to explain them to us. From these options our token vegan went for Spring Green Risotto, which was fresh and tasty despite not being made with risotto rice.
Our token vegetarian, on the other hand, went for the ploughman’s. Interestingly this normally comes with ham, which is not traditionally vegetarian. Luckily the kitchen staff were on it and were able to intercept it before the dish reached our table, although I’m sure our doggy friend would have disposed of it if necessary. As it was it came with a massive slab of cheese that made me incredibly jealous, as well as all the pickled onions you might want if you weren’t planning on being romantic at any point that evening.
On the meat side, there was a plethora of enticing options. From the specials was a very tasty Lamb and Mint Pie, and when I say pie I mean it. The pastry was all encompassing, as opposed to the dainty and disappointing little pastry hats that some pubs try to palm you off with. The pastry did justice to the rich interior as well.
I went for the most intriguing option on the menu, listed here as a Chicken Schnitzel Margherita but familiar to any Northern readers as a Chicken Parm, not often seen this far South at this time of year.
It was just as crispy as you would want, and just as cheesy, and although chicken and tomato are not my favourite flavour combination it hit the spot as completely as Eric Bristow from five paces.
For further carbs if needed the dishes were served with a pile of chips, though you could opt instead for rice, mash or salad if you didn’t want rice with risotto.
A slight niggle was with the sauces which were provided in one small bowl between two. This seemed at odds with the generosity of spirit on offer everywhere else.
The decorations are a sight to behold. Every inch was taken up with either plates, jugs, lucky cats or for some reason a ceramic gherkin. They have somehow managed to fit Christmas decorations around this as well, upping the jolliness quotient still further.
When you are ensconced in its cosy embrace you feel an enormous sense of contentment, and it is very difficult to drag yourself away. This is possibly why I went for an ill-advised second pint before heading out into the suddenly more welcoming winter, carrying the glow of the pub with me like Ready Brek.
If you have a dog with energy that it needs to run off, or even a human, then there are many worse ways to do it than strolling through the fields to this shining beacon of hospitality.
