The Bell Inn, Woburn

A large pub at the end of the High Street, it is apparently part of the hotel of the same name, although unusually this is opposite rather than adjoining. At least two thirds of the pub is given over to a restaurant, and from my quick glance this looked to be quite cosy with plenty of old beams on a rather uneven ceiling, wooden support posts, some exposed brickwork and a large brick fire-place although this was filled with a display of wine bottles rather than anything to generate any heat. The bar area runs down the left hand side of the pub and is finished in the usual gastro-pub hues of green and brown. Although it's clearly had a makeover at some point, it was presumably a little while ago and is starting to look slightly tired in some places. A few wooden beams on a small section of wall hint at the more traditional character that the pub must have had at one time. Flooring is a mixture of black tiles at the front, wooden boards in the middle, and carpet at the rear. There is a covered patio area at the back. The rear area is partially partitioned off to separate it a little from the main bar, and the partitioning housed a collection of spirit bottles although I'm not sure if there was any particular significance to this. There is a large brick fireplace at the front with a wood burning stove, although this was not in use, and some bench seating where the base appeared to be made out of old wine crates (although was probably chipboard printed to look like that). Other than that the decor was all fairly bland and generic, although there were some random photo's of bells, presumably in an attempt to incorporate something in to the pub that was vaguely meaningful. A small TV was at the rear showing some terrestrial TV. The food menu was extensive and divided in to various sections such as mains, classics, gourmet burgers, steaks and grills, jackets, etc., as well as another half a dozen options on the specials board. Most of the mains were in the £8 - £10 range, and I found my Hunter's Chicken to be distinctly average. There was nothing particularly wrong with it, but it was clearly mass produced and not worth the £8.99 it cost. It arrived with a few salad leaves drenched in a rather strong vinaigrette, whereas personally I much prefer a vegetable selection with a hot meal like that. Many pubs offer you the choice, but not this one apparently. If it had been two or three pounds less I might have recommended it as a basic but good value meal. But it wasn't, so I wont. In retrospect, with such an extensive choice of food as well as a Greene King part number printed on the bottom of the menu, I should have expected nothing more. Beer choice was the usual GK options of Abbott Ale and their IPA. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately. Despite it's apparent gastro pretensions, this pub falls well short in it's delivery and with a disappointing drinks range as well there would seem to be little reason to go out of your way to visit. On the plus side the staff were friendly and helpful, although it's the first pub I've eaten in for a while where I haven't been offered a tab.

Official site of the Bell Inn, contains menu and event details - www.bellinn-woburn.com

Official site of the Bell Inn, contains menu and event details - www.bellinn-woburn.com