There’s nothing I enjoy more than exploring an old-y style town, a mooch around some shops and a proper pub lunch. So when I was asked to review the Bull & Swan Burghley in Stamford, I was so up for it. Stamford is only 25 minutes from us which I was surprised at as its the same distance as Northampton so it’s opened up a new area of the UK for us to explore. Stamford is a beautiful town full of lovely old style architecture, a river, loads of independent shops and of course restaurants.
We went down to The Bull and Swan, Burghley on a Tuesday afternoon after a bit of a hectic morning so it was the perfect way to unwind and enjoy a day off.
The pub location and set up
The Bull and Swan is located at the top of the hill going into Stamford town. There is free parking on the street or around the town which is in easy access of the centre and even the railway station. The Bull and Swan is lucky enough to be in one of the stone buildings and houses plenty of character. The interior is full of history and old style tables and chairs which I always love.
Our starters
Whilst it was a lunch we decided to have starters as we had a bit of a early start so we were very hungry by the time we got to the pub. I went for the potted shrimp and Dan went for the duck terrine.
The potted shrimp was a large bowl blended with what I believe was onions and garlic. It was very tasty but very garlicky so I would not advise having this before an important meeting or on date night! I’m pretty sure it was garlic that was making it taste strong but it worked as a starter and the bread was fresh and toasted. I love a seafood starter so this was a great start.
Dan’s terrine despite appearances (terrine’s never look that instagrammable hey!) was tasty and was perfect for a starter. It was a real classic pub dish and worked really well as a light beginning to the meal.
The main course
For our mains I went for the ultimate pub classic, fish and chips which was a haddock in batter with mushy peas. These mushy peas were just as they should be. A lot of pubs are making these too vinegary as of late and I really liked these as they were clearly fresh peas, mushed. Sounds obvious but sometimes you just want the classics!
The chips were really nice, the fish was cooked just right, simply couldn’t go wrong.
Dan went for the ‘catch of the day’ which on this day was a hake dish. It was placed on potato/garlic hash which on its own was nice, but with the fish felt a bit wrong. It tasted like cheese and garlic and I agreed with Dan that they were two amazing pieces but they just didn’t sit as nicely as if it was just potato on it’s own. He enjoyed his meal and liked the fish with fresh greens but just felt that the garlic taste was a touch over-powering for the delicate fish. He still finished it nonetheless and it didn’t ruin the meal at all. Always fun to try new tastes!
The pub classics seem like secure choices that you can’t go wrong with and the pork belly and sea trout sound incredible for an evening meal.
Overall impression
The food and service were great, perfect for a pub classic, drink or a catch up with some friends. However, as we went on a Tuesday afternoon (after the bank holiday) naturally atmosphere is pretty lacking on a day like that. So for us, we were the only one’s in there and it made it a bit ‘too quiet.’ This was our own fault as we did book this day knowing we had a day off but I reckon if we went on a Friday or Saturday it would be a completely different place.
They even have an outdoor cinema in the garden and have accommodation (even a dog catered for menu!!) so they are clearly a popular choice over the weekends and evenings. Their gin choice is wide (always worth noting) and Dan had a good selection of beers on tap to choose from.
I would definitely return, I would just wait to go on the weekend because I think that’s when there would be more atmosphere to enjoy. Find out. more about the Bull & Swan Burghley, Stamford here.
This meal was provided complimentary in return for a review – all views our own though.