The Greyhound in Botesdale
I drive by this pub everyday on my school run and have seen the boards outside offering homemade food, but for so long I have not been inside.
The pub is very well known as a “drinking pub”, often playing live music, but for a long time it hasn’t serve food. That is until the new owners took over in 2012 and gave the pub a huge transformation and renovation.
This change opened a new chapter for the pub. It has become a place that welcomes families and is somewhere you can not only pop in for a diverse range of ales, but can also be guaranteed a delicious home-cooked meal alongside it.
I decided to take the children in for dinner one evening on the way home from school after a busy day. The pub opens the kitchens at 5.30pm, so it’s ideal for an early meal for the kids.
We were made to feel very welcome by the bar staff and shown to our table. It’s a very relaxed and clean restaurant, with lovely wood floors and nicely spread out tables. There’s high chairs available for babies, and lots on the menu that children can choose from, including assurance that most of the adult meals can be halved for children. Maisie and Olly both went for the kids cheeseburger (£4.95 each), and I chose the homemade lasagne (£9.50).
All the ingredients on the menu are sourced locally where possible and everything is homemade, including the desserts! Both Maisie & Olly said their burgers were the best they’d ever had and my lasagne was accompanied by chips and a side salad – it was delicious and great value for money too.
For dessert, Olly chose the ice-cream sundae and Maisie wanted the cheeseboard from the adult menu. The waiter said the portions could just be halved so it was no problem.
The owner, Chris, has managed to bring the pub back to life and my children wanted to know when they could go back there to eat again! Chris has succeeded in creating a pub that is still great for drinking in, but also great for good, honest food at a decent price. We will definitely go back again soon and I urge villagers around the area to pop in and give it a go too.
Pubs like this few and far between and we can’t risk losing them.
The Greyhound
The Street
Botesdale
Suffolk
IP22 1BS
01379 898003
www.greyhoundbotesdale.co.uk
Carrie Barrett lives in Blo Norton, near Diss, right on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, with her husband and two children Maisie (11) and Olly (7).
She has been dining out and about in our area for many years, seeking out restaurants that offer great value, quality and above all else are child friendly. If you would like Carrie to visit a particular pub or restaurant just get in touch with us at Village People and we’ll ask her to visit.