The Farmhouse Inn, Great Dunmow

The Farmhouse Inn is tucked away along a lane, not too far from the picturesque country town of Thaxted. It has a very old-fashioned look from the outside and that theme continues as you enter from the car park into the side of the pub. Being open all day, there were already a group of regular (all male) customers stood at the bar. The barmaid offered a friendly welcome. She was from Hackney and I was impressed with her hospitality as she offered me a newspaper to read. Greene King IPA is the regular ale. On my visit, guest beers were both from Bishop Nick - Heresy & Ridley's Rite. My Heresy was quite drinkable. The pub is split into two sections, one slightly away from the bar probably used more by diners. A number of different types of steak were displayed on a specials board, along with some tempting desserts. Old pictures of Thaxted can also be found on the walls. With its unspoiled interior, its friendly welcome and also its local guest beers, this was one of the better pubs of my Essex crawl.

Farmhouse Inn official site, with events listings - www.farmhouseinn.org

Farmhouse Inn official site, with events listings - www.farmhouseinn.org