You would
once have got a funny look if you said you were going for breakfast in a pub.
Thankfully those chicken-in-a-(plastic)-basket days have long gone, and food can
be shamelessly enjoyed in pubs at all times of the day.
After
dropping my eldest daughter at the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Centre in
Southerndown for her work experience earlier this week, we had planned on a
coastal walk. The weather was pretty foul, however, so after a token look
around the walled garden and headland, the pub in St Bride’s Major advertising
breakfast from 10am proved irresistible.
The Farmers
Arms is also known as the Pub on the Pond, due to its location across the road
from the large village pond. We passed here a while back and it was closed.
However, The Farmers Arms was being extensively refurbished and in April this
year it reopened under new management.
This is
very much a dining pub, with a thoroughly modernized dining area that looks
like any number of other pubs, although there is a traditional bar area at the
opposite end to the restaurant. It’s a big pub that caters for visitors passing
through St Bride’s Major to get to the Glamorgan Heritage
Coast . It’s also close to
a circular footpath walk.
I had the
full English breakfast. This was a meaty affair, with sausages, bacon and black
pudding, along with egg, beans, a large mushroom and fried bread. There was
also a plate of toast, which didn’t fit into the photo. One of the largest and
most enjoyable breakfasts I had had in a while. Our other choice was the egg
and bacon roll; the fresh bread met with particular approval. With two lattes,
the bill came to £13.95.
Lunchtime
and evening specials kick in alongside an extensive all-day menu. The chef’s
specials on the board this week included lamb curry, steak, and creamy chicken
breast dishes. Prices are reasonable and a quick survey of Internet review
sites suggests the pub’s reputation for food has been maintained, and quite
possibly enhanced. The new manager at The Farmers Arms also owns The
Sportsman’s Rest in Peterston-super-Ely, in The Vale of Glamorgan, just outside
Cardiff .
There are
two pubs in St Bride’s Major, the other being The Fox and Hounds.
Summer
crowds have been notably absent on the Heritage Coast
this week. However, things may soon change. The sun may eventually appear (The
Farmers Arms has a beer garden); while the coming month will be an important
time for all the pubs in the area, because thousands of visitors will be
arriving for the National Eisteddfod (4-11 August on the old Llandow airfield
in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan). Pendants welcoming Eisteddfod guests
are hanging in bars, while a chain of new campsites have opened along the
coast.
The Farmers Arms
Wick Road
St Bride’s
Major
Vale of
Glamorgan CF32 0SE
01656
880224
NB. Website still under construction [http://www.thefarmers-pubonthepond.co.uk/]
Visit the
Vale (Glamorgan Heritage Coast ):
The Vale of Glamorgan Pub Tour 2012:
The Bush Inn, St
Hilary
http://www.bushinn-sthilary.com
http://www.bushinn-sthilary.com
Lamb and
Flag, Wick
Blue
Anchor, East Aberthaw
Six Bells,
Penmark
Blacksmith’s
Arms, Llanmaes
Plough and Harrow , Monknash
No comments:
Post a Comment