I like hills. Our main place is a farmhouse in the Cotswolds. We holiday in the Gower Peninsula (for the uninitiated the Gower is in South Wales, and is a sort of Cornwall without the see you next Tuesdays) and have a flat in Soho. What have they all got in common – hills. Well, ok Soho doesn’t, but you try staggering home from the Groucho up a hill.
Now what does Suffolk not have. That’s right. Hills. None at all, flat as a pancake, with only the just-over-the-border and beautiful ship of the fens (aka Ely Cathedral) to break the horizon. Basically gives me agoraphobia and so I try to avoid it. However, this summer we did do a weekend away there, partly to catch up with various friends who have moved to these fenlands (and when I saw their idyllic rose strewn cottages and farmhouses I could see why) but more importantly to try The Unruly Pig, a much praised establishment which has now added Gastropub of the Year to its many honours. And there are many such awards – since it opened in 2015 it has made Estrella’s Top 50, the Michelin Guide and The Good Food Guide.
The Unruly Pig is owned in part by Brendan Padfield, a man who after too many years as a very successful lawyer decided to follow his passion and open a serious restaurant in his home stomping ground of Woodbridge. This is where all the millionaires who commute to London from Sufflok tend to live so is clearly a sensible place in which to have opened. He is well known in foodie and art circles, and best of all is utterly charming. You’ll likely meet him there and will have a very good chat with a very nice man.
He also has the rare business and common sense (as well as politeness) to allow local boy turned uber-Chef Dave Wall, the other owner and Chef-Patron, to take the lead in the kitchen. Not that Brendan does not know his food, but when you have gone into business with someone whose CV includes Gordon Ramsay at both Claridge’s, The Boxwood Café, Bibendum and Le Talbooth in Dedham then the wise man lets said Chef take the lead. And Brendan is indeed a wise man for the food is just bloody fantastic.
After some canapes of smoked cod’s roe tartlet with avruga caviar, a perfect mouthful of the sea, and fried mersea oysters with XO sauce and chilli, we settled down for our starters. I had barbecued octopus with nduja dressing, anchovy emulsion and pickled onion. The octopus was perfectly cooked – not something to be taken for granted – with a crisp shell from the fire giving way to soft flesh underneath. The nduja and chilli had serious kick, perhaps a little too much, but softened by the sugar from the onion and then with a waft of umami layering over the whole courtesy of the anchovies. Yum.
But my wife out-chose me as often happens: Isle of Wight tomatoes with goat’s cheese and a basil sorbet. Tomatoes are having a moment – think of the cherry tomato risotto at London Stock, and now this. A perfectly clear broth hiding in its translucence the sheer intensity of pure tomato, which then marries perfectly the sharp tang of basil sorbet. Genius in a bowl and worth coming here for that dish alone.
Revenge of sorts came with the main courses. She had 40-day aged sirloin steak tagliata with parmesan chips, burnt onion, bone marrow sauce. Very good indeed. Sticky, unctuous and finger licking good in the sort of place where no-one but no-one uses their fingers. But I topped it with wild bass paired with Orford lobster, a shellfish orzo ragu and capers & raisins. The bass flesh was perfectly cooked in way I always fail to achieve, the skin the crispiest I can remember and the lobster timed to perfection. But the sauce was the thing: an insane reduction of the essence of pure shellfish. A liquid love letter to all of our crustacean and mollusc friends. There was a decent amount of it. It was not enough, I’m not sure there could ever be enough of this to-a-shellfish-lover-like-me Sauce of Perfection. A win and a big one.
Finally, in a triumph of the eye over the stomach, to puddings. I had a decent but slightly unexciting variation on eton mess, unexciting mainly because while it tasted excellent they had clearly forgotten the “mess” bit and it was all a bit too precise and stylised. So she won the final round with a very welcome blast from the past: Peach Melba. You almost forget what a perfect pudding that is. Messrs Padfield and Wall have not. Try it.
The wine list is excellent, albeit I was very happy with local Southwold ale, which the ever happy, friendly and chatty staff kept bringing with barely a nod downwards from me.
Finally, I did mention that Brendan Padfield is known is art as well as foodie circles, an obsession which he has brought to bear here as well. If anything it reminded me of the first time I went to Babbington House in the nineties, when no-one had seen a purple pool table or gothicised taxidermy outside the West End. A bit of a shock. Here too: in a land of wisteria, agapanthus and thatched cottages you walk in and are surrounded by some superb and arresting modern art. And purple walls too. I’m not an art critic nor was meant to be, so will leave it there, but if you like such things I’d make sure you pop in here to take a look as I suspect he has a very good eye.
Finally, can I point out that you can get here in an hour or an hour and a half from Liverpool Street Station and that this epic food is available at less than London prices – lunch is £32.50 for three courses for example. They also do excellent Sunday lunches. Treat yourself and pop up here for the day, the evening or a long weekend. Aldeburgh is not far away which means you can top and tail a trip with some of the best fish and chips outside Yorkshire and a long walk on the beach for afters. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me.
The Unruly Pig, Orford Road, Bromeswell, Nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 2PU – 01394 460310 – www.theunrulypig.co.uk
Email: info@theunrulypig.co.uk
Melton railway station is about 15/20 mins walk and a few minutes drive away. Woodbridge railway station is less than 10 minutes drive and taxis are available at the station ( M&R Taxis- book in advance 01394 38691).
We stayed at The Old Rectory, Campsea Ash, Suffolk IP13 0PU which was delightful and only a short taxi ride from The Unruly Pig. Rooms are from £130 a night. The Old Rectory | Bed & Breakfast (oldrectorybb.com)
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