Well, it’s Thursday 27th July and I am sitting in the bar at the Duncombe Arms, with a sandwich and a pint of Adnams Broadside. The pub opened on Saturday 15th as promised and both the Saturday and the Sunday were very busy with lots of people from the village coming to wish Dan and his people well. In addition it seemed that many from Potton and the surrounding area came as well. The promised “nibbles” were a bit thin on the ground but other than that, all was good. The refurbishment is really nice – particularly the fireplace in the lounge bar which has been completely renovated and sand-blasted. The end result is a very smart focal point.
To the food……! Dan Rose has promised a pub with both pub/bar food and fine dining. Well, on the pub front, the beer is good, if a bit “samey” on the real ale front (Doom Bar and Adnams Broadside are both fairly heavy, but that is a matter of personal taste!) and the wine is nice, if a bit expensive. Both menus are a little on the thin side and it appears that the bar/garden menu is not available in the evening (that could be a big mistake, but it is early days yet). The restaurant menu is nice but again not a lot of choice. It is, however, good local produce well cooked.
All in all, a good start. The beer is good, but a choice between heavy and light bitters would be appreciated. The food is well cooked and tasty but there is a small choice. This is OK to start with but needs reviewing in a month or so.
HOWEVER the big plus is that Dan and his investors understand that “front of house” needs looking after. The staff are excellent, waiting and bar. Attentive chatty and friendly.
An encouraging start…….