Richard Bryson seeks out the Rose and Crown at Great Horkesley
Richard Bryson seeks out the Rose and Crown at Great Horkesley
So what took you to a pub just over the Suffolk border into Essex?
Well, good word of mouth comments and the fact that the owner and chef Edward Halls fashioned straightforward but great food in the kitchens at the King’s Head, Woodbridge.
Had you been there before?
Only once after a game of cricket in the village. It seemed, back in the eighties I think, more of a good local boozer with chicken in the basket for anyone feeling peckish.
..and now?
It remains a nice-looking, beamed pub with plenty of room inside and a beer garden outside. Colchester is just up the road and if you go the other way it’s down on to the valley floor to Nayland. We sat in the beer garden on a lovely hot day and the breeze (the pub is at the top of a hill) was welcoming.
What did you have?
It was a quick working lunch and while I had one of Edward’s specialities, a steak burger with hand-cut twice-fried chips my colleague liked his goat's cheese tartlet. Loved the burger, it’s good quality local beef, but I do like really crisp, almost crunchy, chips and these were a little bit too floppy. Lots of interesting choices on the menu so it's worth going if you fancy a border raid..
The verdict?
A good pub with fair prices and a very passionate owner who really wants to make things happen here.
