The Bell

Earlier this month I went in search of some quality ‘pub grub’ in one of Leicestershire’s many beautiful villages. As a result, I ended up at ‘The Bell’ in the quaint, little village of Burton Overy, just off the Great Glen bypass.  The village itself dates back to 1086 and was designated a Conservation Area in 1974. So with its historical buildings, thatched cottages and green verges, the idyllic village of Burton Overy seemed the perfect location to enjoy a spot of Friday night supper.

The Bell is one of the more modern buildings in the village.  Once inside, the pub is a pleasant blend of old and new. Dark wood panelling along the walls and bar, coupled with the open fire gives The Bell a traditional feel. In contrast, there is a modern light carpet on the floor and the bar/dining area is filled with fairly contemporary square tables and chairs. Together however, they create a pleasing, warm and cosy environment in which to dine.

Service was from the bar. So we ordered our drinks and took our seats at our reserved table.  There was no menu to view at the table, only a blackboard in the corner of the room. While chalk board menus are aesthetically pleasing, they can create something of an inconvenience when they are the only way of viewing the menu, especially when there are only two of you dining. It’s not always ideal to have to leave your drink, guest and belongings behind, wander across a busy dining room, peer over someone’s shoulder, hurriedly scan the menu, place your order at the bar and return to your seat to eventually ‘start’ your evening. I personally prefer to relax at the table, study the menu and take my time in deciding what to eat. For me, it’s all part of the process and part of the joy of eating out. On the plus side however, a chalk board menu is generally a good indication that the food is freshly cooked and with ingredients the chef has available that day? So based on this theory, I was optimistic that the quality of food would be good and make up for the inconvenience of ordering process.

The menu itself was varied but limited in size. A mixture of pub classics such as bangers and mash, family favorites such as Moussaka and Thai Chicken and bistro style dishes including scallops with black pudding and Gessington Duck. I chose the duck, while my friend opted for sausages and mash.

My friend chose better than I. The three fat sausages from Fleckney were packed full of herbs and bursting with flavour. They were served with a generous portion of cheesy mash and a rich, meat gravy. My duck on the other hand, was a little disappointing. Although it looked very pretty (sliced duck, carefully arranged on a bed of green beans with little green and orange spots of sauce around the plate) overall it was a little bland. The duck was not served pink and so, in my opinion, was slightly over cooked.  Although the meat was not dry, the dish itself was. I found myself beginning to make grand plans for the abundance of gravy that was drowning the tasty little sausages on my friend’s plate. That is just was the dish needed. A big jug of gravy. Instead I had to make do with the blobs of apple and orange sauce, which were quite thick and disappearing fast.  Unfortunately, the sauces weren’t particularly exciting either and they didn’t compliment the meat.  The orange sauce was overwhelmed by the apple sauce which was far too tart. Although not unpleasant, the meal made no impact on me and for the price paid (£16.95) I felt it didn’t represent good value for money. 

Both the main courses were served with a side dish of vegetables which included new potatoes, carrots and green beans. Although cooked nicely, the portion size wasn’t overly generous and it would have been better if the vegetables which accompanied the dish differed to the vegetables served as the side. There are only so many green beans a girl can eat!

As with the food, the standard of service varied. Despite the fairly formal dining arrangement, you ordered drinks and food at the bar. With only two members of staff serving, service was at times slow. There was a delay when it came to clearing the empty dishes from the table and when taking payment which was a little disappointing given the price of the food.

So overall I would describe both the food and service at The Bell as average. While my duck was underwhelming and possibly overpriced, the sausages and mash were hearty and comforting and well worth £9.95. I can’t say I will be in a rush to return to the pub, knowing that for £16.95 I can get a better standard of food and service elsewhere (see Ashfield’s for example).  However the location is extremely pretty and the pub did have a nice feel about it so there is a good chance I might return one day.  I think next time though, I would stick to ordering the more reasonably priced ‘pub classics’ which may be where The Bells strengths’ lie?

Restaurant                  3/5

Food                             3/5
Service                         3/5
Value for money        3/5

Total                             12/20