The Heath Inn, Leighton Buzzard

Official site of The Heath Inn - www.theheathinn.com

Now known as The Heath Inn, this is a good sized pub on the main road through the village consisting of two bars, a small patio area and a separate accommodation block at the rear. The pub holds monthly jazz nights, although these are usually big names and so there is an entrance charge of around £10. Barmaid was friendly and helpful. The main bar is at the front of the pub and this is a U-shape room around the stone built bar counter. Slate tiles cover the floor and it has a fairly traditional country pub feel with plenty of beams on the low ceiling, a few brick pillars and the obligatory horse brasses dotted around. At one end is an enormous brick fire-place that has been converted in to a seating area, whilst a smaller stone fire-place at the other end had a few logs burning away. There were a few high stools around the bar and a couple of leather arm chairs opposite, but otherwise the seating was conventional tables and chairs. A plasma was up on one wall showing a Sky sports channel. The other bar at the rear had cream wood panelling on the walls with a mixture of carpet and orange tiling on the floor and was apparently not in use on a recent Tuesday evening visit. Unusually there was both a pool table and a carvery counter, which seemed an odd combination. Food wise, the menu is a straightforward “pub grub” affair with options such a Fish & Chips, Ham Egg & Chips, Pie of the day, Burger, etc., as well as a small specials board and these were mostly priced around the £8 mark. My Scampi & Chips was a decent enough dish, with the chips being so large that they were essentially potato wedges. Proper branded bottles of sauce were supplied which I always think is far preferable to sachets or a small dish with contents of indeterminate origin. There was even a grinder for freshly milled pepper. Beers on tap were Tring’s Ridgeway, Ringwood Forty Niner and Brakespear Bitter. Two further pumps were on the bar, one of which appeared to have run out and one which was possibly unused. The solitary cider was Stowford Press which makes a pleasant change from the usual dross around these parts.

Official site of The Heath Inn - www.theheathinn.com

Now known as the Cock Hotel and Restaurant.