Pub of the week: The Bird in Hand

I like facts. And I like Long Ashton. So, especially for your delectation on this Thursday morning, here’s my favourite Long Ashton fact: Ribena was invented in Long Ashton at the National Fruit and Cider Institute, which used to be at the furthest end of the village from Bristol.

It was therefore with a sense of duty that my first drink in the newly revamped Bird in Hand yesterday was a pint of Ashton Press, made by the Long Ashton Cider Company and which indelibly links the village with what it is most famous for, unless you are a golf fan and vouch that Chris Wood is its most notable export.

The Bird in Hand reopened last week after a smart refurbishment under new owner Toby Gritten, Long Ashton resident and chef-proprietor of the Pump House, who is now looking to turn this historic pub into another establishment known far and wide for its food as much as its drinks.

Bread baked on the premises sits on the bar, while lighter options also include hand-cut maris piper chips (£3). River Exe mussels are cooked in Ashton Press cider, of course, the cheapest of the main courses at £7. The dry-aged rump steak, seasonal vegetables, Anna potato and red wine jus takes top spot on the menu at £15.

Desserts of sticky toffee pudding and Eton mess are £5.50, while individual cheeses – Barkham blue, Quickes cheddar, Tunworth and Golden Cross – are £1.95 each.

If that doesn’t make you hungry, have a look at the far wall by the unisex toilets (a brave choice in a village pub I think), which are covered floor to ceiling in pages from an old cook book featuring such dishes as veal and ham pie, stewed Oysters and beef cake, accompanied by dainty pen and ink illustrations.

There may not yet be signs on the outside, but inside other decoration includes old metal adverts from Bristol favourites Wills and Fry’s, and a huge deer head in the dining room, the area to the right of the front door as you walk in with tables laid for dinner, as opposed to the area to the left nearest the bar which is more suited to drinking.

Which brings us to the drinks, and the ales, Butcombe, Gem, Doom Bar and Tribute, a disappointingly standardised selection. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve written one or more of that combination in Bristol pub reviews. Despite them being some of the best locally-brewed ales, they are somewhat ubiquitous and I hope that in the future the Bird in Hand will serve a few more less-known beers.

Sagres, Amstel and Kronenbourg will satisfy the lager drinkers, while a good selection of wines can be served by the glass.

But it is the food where this pub will garner plaudits, and Gritten’s reputation as one of the best chefs in Bristol is riding on the Bird in Hand being a success, which I very much hope it is. With pubs closing down across the country, it is always great to see pubs like this getting a bold refurbishment and looking to attract both drinkers and foodies.

Minor grumble about the ale selection aside, the Bird in Hand’s rejuvenation is just what this side of Bristol needs, and if it does come to serve some of the best food in the area, there might soon be a new fact to tell about Long Ashton.

The Bird in Hand, 17 Weston Road, Long Ashton, Bristol.