The humble pub is celebrated in a series of events this summer, Pub in the Park, the UK’s largest food and music festival tour, showcasing the best of British pubs, restaurants, and chefs. Ahead of its launch, Sophie McLean visited the winner (again) of the UK’s Top Gastropub Award to see what makes this national institution prevail…
There’s nothing better than a decent pub. The very best are literally that – a public house. Come into my home; be welcome in my house, sit at my table and let me bring you a pint. Even the worst pubs have something great about them – the loyalty of the regulars, the shiny bottles of spirits lined up behind the bar. A roaring fire, a sticky carpet, highbrow snacks or a slot machine. Each has their own personality and ambience. You love each one differently, and the sentiment is usually, affectionately, returned.
When I think of the pubs that I love the most, very many of the ones that spring to mind are called ‘The Something Arms’. In London these include The Drapers Arms, The Canton Arms, The Camberwell Arms. At University in Bristol, The Kensington Arms was another. I like to think that the reason these pubs are called such things is because the best of them incite a feeling of a friendly hug upon stepping inside. A safe space. A third space – somewhere where community thrives and people are brought together, in real life.
“There’s one on every corner! There’s a lot of money to be made in this country if there’s a pub on every corner,” so went two visiting Brazilians’ conversation as I stood waiting for a bus recently. While the opposite is possibly closer to the truth, in a period that has probably never been harder for hospitality (see Covid, Brexit, cost-of-living and much more besides), there are some places that still seem to make it work seamlessly, giving punters an authentic home-from-home experience that they so desire.
A couple of week’s ago I was invited to visit one of these. With grand accolades that include Number 1 in the UK Top 50 Gastropubs Awards for almost three years running (2025, 2024 and 2022), The Unruly Pig in Woodbridge, Suffolk has certainly got a lot to live up to. This year it is celebrating ten years of service – some more memorable than others, since their own beginning wasn’t necessarily the easiest.
After ‘a three-hour long interview in his front room’, owner Brendan Padfield hired Dave Wall as Chef-Patron, so Dave tells us over a glass of perfectly chilled sparkling wine from Langham Estate in Dorset. Shortly after they opened the pub together, however, the building suffered significant damage thanks to a fire and had to close for refurbishment almost as soon as it had opened.
Happily without similar trouble since, the Unruly thrives as a local pub as much as one worthy of destination dining. Walking in, it gives regular pub vibes – the classic black wooden window door that leads you past the gents, a notice board with colourful versions of the piggy-logo scribbled in by some of the younger customers, and walls lined with their impressive awards and famous visitors. You arrive into the open bar where it’s too early yet for the regulars to be propping it up or dangling from a barstool (I am early for service, eager as you might call me).
Dave himself walks us through the ten year anniversary tasting menu, one that is currently being replicated in celebratory tones (ordinarily £79 but £49 when dining), priced to allow as many people as possible to be able to try it.
Dinner commences with a selection of Mersea Oysters, dressed a number of ways – natural, fried with Nduja sauce and chilli, grilled with a garlic gremolata, or served pickled with smoked cucumber and n.25 caviar – sublime. The Unruly sourdough focaccia is a signature, served with butter whipped with the humble English condiment Bovril. We are afforded an anchovy butter too, as well as a smoked cod’s roe tartlet – the seafood often coming from Pinner’s Smoke House in nearby Orford, and a little Suffolk Baron Bigord snack before the main events arrive.
Next up is a hand-dived orkney scallop crudo with a little spice from an Nduja dressing to keep a thread of our earlier opener. This is followed by a wild garlic velouté, coloured in the brightest of greens thanks to wildly fresh peas, served with cashel blue cheese for added velvet, and a little Iberico ham for saltiness. A cod loin with luxurious brown crab sauce follows, plated prettily to contain the liquid, while revealing perfectly cooked flesh. I choose to pair this with an L.A brewery Citrus Kombucha, also made in Suffolk.
Rare breed beef is accompanied by caramelised shallot and an Ox cheek ragu with aerated mash – like a mini shepherd’s pie. This is brought out to us by newly promoted chef-de-partie Eli – someone who Dave is proud to encourage within this cheffing world. He tells us the current pastry chef started out washing dishes, and he is clearly proud to see his team progress. The staff are eager and engaging – our waiter too who is only two weeks into the job. You can teach practical skills, but you have to nurture passion.
We finish with a panna cotta draped in blood orange and rhubarb – combining sweetness with a bright acidity – one of the best dishes of the evening. Final points are given to a tosier chocolate cremosa.
While mint-tea arrives to aid digestion, we sit back in our tan leather booth overlooked by the cast of The Sopranos who are gathered in a framed last-supper-style motif above our heads. This is complemented by other quirky and brilliant items of art – an illuminated Bitter Campari sign hanging on an Italian Street corner – something I’m sure I spied at Battersea Affordable Art Fair earlier this month.
As we conclude the evening, Dave points out that a pub still needs to be a pub, so staple and popular menu items will always include Chicken liver parfait and a steak (rumour has it ‘they do a great spag bol’ too). Some of these will feature at this year’s Pub in the Park in Marlow, organised by Tom Kerridge and friends. Unruly guest dishes will include Arancini, Mac and Cheese, and an Iberican pork bap. If you can’t get to Suffolk in the meantime, and can calm your tastebuds until May – it sounds like just the ticket!
The Unruly Pig, Orford Road, Bromeswell, Nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 2PU. For more information visit www.therunrulypig.co.uk. Pub in the Park kicks off in Marlow on 15th-18th May, with subsequent events in London, Reigate and St Albans. Visit www.pubinthepark.com for the full line up of participating pubs, chefs and music line-ups.
