The Fleece in Bungay offers comfort, creativity and culinary delights.
At the heart of the medieval market town of Bungay, The Fleece has been providing a warm welcome to locals and visitors alike since the fifteenth century. You can still find many of the original features inside the beautiful building. A warren of interconnecting spaces and warm, inviting nooks and crannies, are complete with exposed timbers, low ceilings, and stunning leaded windows which look out over the beautiful church opposite.
General manager Graeme heads up a wonderful team of enthusiastic, friendly staff who are always on hand to help, while in the kitchen, experienced head chef Justin and his young talented team take great pride in the inn’s food.
Using seasonal produce, the chefs create menus in which the familiar and comforting are offered alongside more creative, exciting dishes too.
The menus also change regularly, to suit the seasons and to use the best of what the region has to offer. The Katsu Chicken from the inn’s current menu has been a firm favourite this year proving that international flavours can be created using beautiful local ingredients. The team value provenance in all the dishes coming from the kitchen but are really excited to be working closely with David and Nigel at Maisebrooke Farm, only two miles away, to use their aged dairy cows (the British Wagyu, according to some) for all the beef dishes, including the sirloin on Sunday, various steak dishes on the specials board and the Beef Short Rib and Oxtail Pithivier from the current seasonal menu.
With a plethora of wonderful local produce and suppliers to choose from, The Fleece’s homemade dishes are complemented by delicious little extras too. These include fresh bread from The Penny Bun in Lowestoft, Aldeburgh ice-cream in a range of delicious, unusual flavours, local Fen Farm butter and beautiful pork and rare breed beef from Swannington farm to fork.
If you’re looking to pop in for a quick drink, specialty teas and coffees, a selection of delicious, well priced wines and an exciting selection of local ales are among the many drinks that can be enjoyed. On sunny days why not sit in the rear courtyard, or when frost has nipped your toes take a seat by the roaring fire in the bar.
If you need somewhere host a celebration in 2019, look no further than ‘Upstairs at The Fleece’, a large oak beamed function room on the first floor of the pub, with its own bar, stripped pine tables and beautiful views through the leaded windows out to St Marys Church opposite. If not a celebration, the room can also be used for various other events such as meetings (projector and wi-fi available) or training sessions.
Live music has also proved popular at The Fleece, where every second Friday Dave ‘the piano man’ Johnson will entertain you, in his own unique way, from 8pm to 11pm. The first Sunday of the month also brings local artists into the cosy bar for a more laid back acoustic approach from 6pm to 8pm. Sunday lunch is served all day, so book a table for a late lunch and stay for the entertainment. Fleece Fest will return again this summer on Sunday, August 18, with a day of live music, local beers and ciders, children’s entertainment including face painting.
RECIPE
Why not give this confit pork collar with rib eye escalope, chorizo, saffron mash, almond puree, spring greens and sherry jus recipe from The Fleece a try?
Confit pork collar and sherry jus
500g pork collar
2 large onions, peeled
½ head celery
2 carrots
2 Bramley apples
1 carton apple juice
1 litre pork or chicken stock
½ bunch thyme
3 whole garlic cloves
150ml sherry
Method
1. Roughly chop the onions, celery, carrots and apples and place in a high-sided roasting dish.
2. Place the pork collar on top and pour in apple juice & pork stock with the thyme and garlic. Add additional water to just cover the meat.
3. Cover with baking parchment and seal dish with tin foil, cook in oven for 6 hours at 100C.
4. Remove from oven and liquid and rest.
5. For the sherry jus, sieve the juices and add the sherry and reduce by half.
Escalope
4 rib eye or loin steaks
4 slices white bread
50g Parmesan
50g toasted almonds
4 sprigs of thyme (leaves picked)
3 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
Olive oil
100g good quality chorizo, sliced
Method
1. Trim the fat from the steaks, then place, one at a time, between 2 pieces of baking parchment and bash with a rolling pin or meat mallet until about 5mm thick. Set aside.
2. Put the bread, almonds, Parmesan, and thyme leaves in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
3. Spread the flour onto a plate and put the egg in a shallow bowl. Season the pork, then dust in flour. Dip each steak into the egg, then press into the crumbs, coating evenly.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the pork for 2-3 mins each side until golden and crunchy. Remove from pan and add sliced chorizo for 30 seconds to release some of the fat.
Saffron mash
4/6 good sized potatoes
100 ml milk or cream
100g butter
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Almond puree
100g ground roasted almonds
5g saffron strands
20g butter
2 tbsp milk
Method
1. Make mashed potato to your own liking, using the potatoes, milk/cream, butter, salt and pepper and olive oil.
2. Remove a ¼ of the potato for the puree and combine with ground almonds, blend with butter and milk and push through a sieve.
Cook spring greens to your own liking. Purple sprouting, cavolo nero, wild nettles or carrot tops will go well with this dish.
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