As September arrives and the long, sun-filled evenings of summer gently fade, our thoughts turn quite naturally to simpler comforts. Keats, of course, called it the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” – that lovely moment of transition when one season gives way to another, and we rediscover the pleasures of warmth, good company, good food and, perhaps above all… the pub!
Few things signal the arrival of autumn quite like stepping into a proper country pub on a cool afternoon or evening, and the Bull’s Head at Foolow is, reassuringly, very much a proper country pub!
There is an immediate sense of it as you walk through the door. Perhaps it is the faint, lingering aroma of the log burner – a light smokiness that seems to cling agreeably to the fabric of the building after the previous evening’s fire. Perhaps it is the character of the place itself: the reassuringly traditional surroundings, the sense of history, the little details that tell you this is a building that has lived a life. A venue with soul and, crucially, that soul is rooted in the building itself.
And so, while the food and drink may have ambitions beyond the merely traditional, the setting remains gloriously grounded. Just as autumn intends, the Bull’s Head invites you to slow down, get comfortable and enjoy the good things in life! We immediately gravitate towards the bar to peruse the offering, which includes a great array of tasty lagers including Staropramen, along couple of tempting draught beers from Bakewell-based brewery Thornbridge, and an extensive selection of wine and spirits.
The menu, fronted by head chef Andy Birchall, is broad, generous and rooted in the sort of produce and flavours you want from a country pub, while still leaving room for a few more contemporary flourishes. The menu offers an appealing variety: soups of the day, smoked salmon, wild mushrooms and a baked Camembert to share, sit alongside seasonal salads, beer-battered fish and chips, homemade pies, gammon and eggs, steaks, burgers, and vegetarian and vegan options. Whether you are after something light or arriving with the appetite of a committed carnivore, there really is so much to tempt.
We began with two starters: smoked salmon with sour cream, chive butter, soda bread, pickled cucumber and dill, followed by wild mushrooms with confit garlic, thyme cream, Parmesan crumb and toasted sourdough.
The smoked salmon was an excellent opening dish. The salmon itself was wonderfully fresh and delicate, with a wonderful smokiness that enhanced rather than dominated its natural flavour. The pickled cucumber brought a light sweetness and gentle acidity, refreshing without becoming overly sharp, while the sour cream added a cool, soft and creamy counterpoint. The soda bread, sourced from a local Bakewell Bakery, brought real earthy flavour to the plate to reinforce the dish. Together, the elements created a plate that felt light, fresh and almost cleansing, while still having enough depth to feel properly satisfying.
The wild mushrooms, meanwhile, were almost a distillation of autumn on a plate. Juicy, creamy, tender and intensely earthy, the mushrooms had that wonderful woodland quality that makes them such a natural fit for a rustic pub setting. The confit garlic provided a mellow savouriness rather than an aggressive garlic hit, while the thyme cream added warmth and richness. The Parmesan crumb was particularly effective, bringing a lovely salty, savoury note and a little textural contrast against the softness of the mushrooms and cream. With toasted sourdough underneath, it was comforting, rustic food, but with enough finesse to elevate it beyond the ordinary.
For the mains, we chose the beef bourguignon pie and pork belly.
I dare say, the beef bourguignon pie may well be one of the finest pub pies I have encountered. The pastry was remarkably tender and light, giving way effortlessly under the fork, while inside was beautifully cooked beef: juicy, succulent and deeply flavoured, with the richness you want from a bourguignon but without the dish becoming heavy or overpowering. The quality of the meat really shone through. Served with creamy mash, buttered greens, caramelised onion purée and lashings of gravy, it had all the hallmarks of a great Sunday roast condensed into one gloriously comforting plate. The mash was hearty but retained enough texture to taste of proper potatoes, while the caramelised onion added a gentle sweetness to balance the savoury richness. And, importantly, there was plenty of gravy, as there should be!
The pork belly offered a different expression of the same philosophy. Again, the quality of the meat was immediately apparent, cooked so beautifully that the fat melted into it, creating a lovely contrast between tender pork and beautifully rendered fat and a rich, yielding texture. Served with black pudding bonbons that delivered a deep, rich grounding touch. The star accompaniment was the apple and cider sauce! Pork and apple may be a timeless combination, but this sauce gave it genuine depth, delivering a concentrated hit of fresh apple flavour with enough sweetness and acidity to cut through the pork’s richness. With wholesome, creamy mash alongside and perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables with bite, it was hearty, balanced, and deeply comforting.
Dessert brought two very different finishes: sticky toffee pudding with Biscoff crumble, salted butterscotch sauce and banana ice cream, and a lemon curd cheesecake.
The sticky toffee pudding was exactly the sort of dessert you hope for at the end of a pub meal, but with a few clever touches. The sponge was remarkably light and fluffy, almost dissolving on the tongue, yet sufficiently absorbent to soak up all that rich, sticky butterscotch. The salted butterscotch sauce was gloriously indulgent, with a savoury edge that stopped the sweetness from becoming cloying. The Biscoff crumble added crunch and that familiar caramelised, gently spiced flavour. At the same time, the banana ice cream was an inspired addition, bringing a cool, fruity lift to what could otherwise have been an intensely rich finale.
The lemon curd cheesecake provided the perfect contrast. Silky, smooth and wonderfully creamy, it carried a gentle citrus zing without becoming aggressively lemony. The lemon curd brought freshness and acidity, almost acting as a palate cleanser after the richness of the preceding courses. The cheesecake base was equally impressive, fine and buttery rather than grainy or overly dense.
And that, really, sums up the food here. It is comforting, generous and recognisably rooted in the traditions of good pub cooking, but there is thought behind every element. Above all, the ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves.
With bellies full and the rain outside, leaving the Bull’s Head feels a bit like being nudged awake from a very nice dream. It’s not just the food, though that alone would justify a return. It’s the whole atmosphere. Relaxed, honest and utterly unpretentious. It’s a place that reminds you why pubs matter. Warmth without fuss, good food without gimmicks and an ethos that takes the bull by the horns.
The Bull’s Head, Follow, Nr Eyam, Hope Valley, Derbyshire, S32 5QR
T: 01433 630873
info@thebullsheadfoolow.co.uk
www.thebullsheadfoolow.co.uk