Food review: 'Could this be the perfect Suffolk pub?'

But it was that I’d stumbled upon the rare beast that is the ‘perfect pub’. The kind that ticks all the boxes...the sum of its parts fitting together like a neatly cut jigsaw.

That pub is the Edwardstone White Horse.

It’s not fancy. It doesn’t serve scallops or lobster or twee posh desserts (pudding here is a Mars Bar). But what it does have is bags of character, and the kind of honest- to-good ambiance that gives you a warm and toasty feeling inside.

Now, what do I mean by a proper pub? Gastropubs aside (we have many of these, lots of them excellent), to me, the ideal pub is somewhere unpretentious where the whole community is welcome. Somewhere you can roll up in your mud-caked wellies for a pint and a packet of crisps after a walk, or pull up a chair with friends after a long day for a chat.

The bar area at The Edwardstone White Horse (Image: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis)

Somewhere you know, if you go alone, after a few minutes at the bar you’ll have found someone to chat to.

Sadly, these kinds of institutions are scant as hens’ teeth – many of them swallowed up into housing. And the effect of their loss cannot be underestimated.

I remember fondly the time (pre-children) when my husband and I lived near The Bell in Kersey. It felt, for a while, like the centre of our little world.

Back then, chef Jonathan (who was excellent) ran the kitchen, dosing out fantastic pies, steaks and puds. We’d go there after work for dinner. For Sunday lunches. For drinks with friends.

There was always a pack of dogs warming themselves by the fire at the bar, and a rollcall of locals, from all walks of life, chatting away – from farmers to doctors, to families.

One very harsh winter we got snowed into the village and tried (in the stupidity of youth) to walk to Hadleigh for supplies in gale force winds, battered by drifts of frozen rain. We failed.

Returning to the Bell, we were taken in, and given mugs of tea and bowls of hot soup. How’s that for community spirit?

The White Horse was somewhere else we’d pop to from time to time. And when our children were small, it was a regular haunt for Sunday lunch - at one point I’m sure a national paper cited it as being amongst the best for roasts in the country.

The main dining room at The Edwardstone White Horse (Image: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis)

It’s changed hands a few times over the years and had, I’m sad to say, dropped off my radar until a friend visited recently, sending a running commentary on the place via our friendship circle’s Whatsapp group:

‘We’ve got pizza...it’s really good,” came the first message, with a picture of said pizza.

Then: ‘Ooh, the wagyu burger van just turned up. We’ve got chips. They are good chips!’

Followed by: ‘Now not one, but two ice cream vans!’

The pub is visited regularly by food trucks at weekends, which supplement its offering – although I have to point out, my friend discovered the ice cream vans weren’t on the rota – the drivers were just stopping by for a drink. However, they did oblige those who wanted a 99 with a Flake.

Having revisited, I honestly believe this place has a bit of magic about it. It’s an inn to be sought out, visited often, and treasured.

The pub resides in a picture-perfect rural location (there are superb walks from the beautiful local church, or the Millennium Green opposite). There’s a campsite to pitch up in.

It has its own brewhouse – The Little Earth Project – whose Hedgerow Blend and It’s Life, Jim, beers were recently selected as being amongst 250 of the best on the planet, featuring in CAMRA’s World’s Greatest Beers book.

And there’s a simple menu that screams ‘eat me’.

On our visit a blend of holidaymakers and locals were sat in the garden, relishing the relative coolness of the early evening air as we recovered from the most recent heatwave.

While the exterior is rustic, inside is far from ‘spit and sawdust’. The pub is spotless and nicely appointed - brick and beam complemented by solid furniture, heavy curtains, shelves of beer-related books, and piles of boardgames.

After a warm welcome, we were eyeing up the chalk board. The White Horse, being a free house, has so much choice (including Little Earth Project’s wild ferments and sours) on tap, with third pints available in flights.

Just when you think you’ve made a decision, though, you realise there’s a whole other ‘bible’ of bottled beer to sift through – again, with a strong focus on wild and interesting varieties.

You’ll see their own Stupid Sexy Suffolk (a blended Flander’s style red beer), and dozens of 750ml bottles to be shared like wine, including Burning Sky’s Saison de Peche (aged with yellow and white peaches), and Crossover Blendery’s Barbarian Lands (aged in stages, from French oak barrels to the barrels that once contained their Mount Ida raspberry beer).

There are guest cans too. And ciders. Oh, and natural and biodynamic wines.

My husband stuck with the familiar – a pint of (also local) Burnt Mill’s wonderful Pintle. A herbaceous, hoppy, crisp number with a hint of pine.

Naturally I couldn’t decide, so opted for one of the flights, with third pints priced variously from £1.35 to £2.60. First up, their own blackberry and blackcurrant sour. Sour beer is an acquired taste, but is something I really enjoy. This one was kinda funky, with a touch of farmyard, and bright, tart notes from the fruit.

Braybrooke’s Black Lager was smooth, lighter than stout in body, but with those lingering dark chocolate, malted biscuit and coffee notes you might expect.

And Ampersand’s Nettle Petite Saison was an unusual but pleasurable drink. Really interesting, almost with hints of young green pepper and fresh lime.

Onto the food. I’d had a bad experience earlier in the week at a place (which shall remain nameless), that had overcomplicated its menu to its own detriment.

I was craving decent, for want of a better word, ‘grub’.

Sourdough pizza, made at the pub (Image: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis)

The White Horse has hit the nail on the head here. There’s no fussy, frilly bits. Like the beer offering, the team have chosen quality above all else. We tried a bit of everything.

Pizzas are available from Wednesday onwards, and while not being exactly authentic Italian, they are pretty darn good, being made with their own sourdough mix, a rich tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, and local goodies. The puffy crust was sensational.

Also, they’re so big, we had to take half of each home. One a simple margherita, the other festooned with Dingley Dell’s salami.

It was refreshing to see a local pork pie on the menu. And decent it was too. Lightly spiced, plump with meat, crisp-bottomed pastry, and a vat of piccalilli on the side.

The thing I’d go back for, over and over again, is the pubs charcuterie and cheese platters. What more could you want alongside a few beers?

Local pork pie and pickle at The Edwardstone White Horse (Image: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis)

The sharing platter of Dingley Dell cured meats, East Anglian cheeses, homemade chutney, and homemade sourdough bread (Image: Charlotte Smith-Jarvis)

Priced at £14 for cheese or charcuterie, or £18 for a mixed plate to share, these are generous portions indeed.

We definitely didn’t need the extra portion of bread I ordered alongside (these things never usually have enough). By the time everything arrived, I’m almost positive we had half a loaf on the table. Did we eat it all? Of course. But that’s not the point!

As to the bread. It was brilliant. Their own, homemade sourdough. Thinner crusted than most (better for my poor gnashers), and less tangy, with a bouncy crumb and malty, nutty flavour, I’d go so far as to say it’s some of the best house-baked bread I’ve eaten in a pub. Alongside was some rapeseed oil and vinegar, and a portion of cultured, salted butter.

The platter itself was a feast. Hand-cut Dingley Dell salamis, slivers of their whole meat cuts, a wedge of oozing Baron Bigod sidled up next to Suffolk Gold, and Binham Blue. There was salad. Wheels of home pickled beets and cucumber. And a gloriously gloopy beer-scented chutney with hints of spice and sweetness.

All told, with a flight of beers, a pint, two posh pops, two large pizzas, a pork pie, the sharing platter and extra bread, the bill came to £65.40.

We left, comparing diaries, desperately trying to pencil in a date for another visit. Maybe, next time, with a tent in tow.

Don’t let The Edwardstone White Horse pass you by – it's time to trot over and give it a whirl.

For more details and opening hours go to edwardstonewhitehorse.co.uk