VENUE FODDER VALUE OVERALL
4
St Andrews St has long been a pub, but it opened in
its Rumsey Wells incarnation in 2008, and has been furnishing us with liquor, grub and larks ever since. It’s been the venue of many an Outline ‘do’ if you’re interested, so the walls are still wailing with the shrieks of atrocities witnessed. Te place is brimming with character; draw your own beer mats, decoupage poetry on the walls of the loos, and ramshackle board games are trademarks of the much- loved city pub. Te food mainly falls on the two sides of pie and mash, and sausage and mash, with a few other smaller choices – or diversions, as they’re name- checked on the menu. Te sausages owe their origin to 19th Century established Pickerings of Norfolk, which you can find on Norwich market; the pies to Pieminister, which calls the West Country its home and counts Kate Moss, David Beckham and John Cleese amongst its celebrity fans. You’ll see their comprehensive and inventive pie menus popping up at festivals, farmers’ markets, other pubs and their own restaurants.
ATMOSPHERE Warming up for a vibrant Tursday night (the new Friday, I’m led to believe) – and the Christmas lights switch-on at that – the Rumsey is just as you’d want a city centre watering hole; rippling with incoming bodies, heads bobbing at the bar. Tey were assembling for a band, which is standard activity for a pub known for its busy schedule.
GETTING HOME...
THE MAIN EVENT Shamrock Pie, Horseradish Mash, Mushy Peas and Gravy // Deerstalker Pie, Blue Cheese Mash and Gravy Te other half and I both opted for the left-hand side of the menu, both choosing from the pie side. It’s something us Brits cave for; ingredients wrapped in butter-rich pastry. I seldom make good life choices, but food decisions I luckily pride myself on, and the pairing of the tender beef steak, soaked deep in Irish stout with the sharp and tangy, generously horseradish-laden mash was a smart choice. Top that off with minty, chalky peas and you’re in the game, my son. Te other choice was a decadent one; not content with slaying Bambi’s mother for our evening tucker (do we all have a Disney-related pang when eating venison?), but the hallmark iron-y taste was matched with smoky bacon and lentils, which made for a filling challenge. We paired that one with blue cheese, which ‘plus tenned’ the earthiness of the dish. Potentially the best drink in a pub resplendent with golden nectars is the boat of gravy that is coughed up with the pies. Gravy to me is what a warm, fluffy bubble bath is to others; it may sound more northern than Mel B riding a whippet bareback, but I could dip my arm repeatedly in the brown stuff and lick myself like a cat. Especially this brown stuff. Sticky, umami-rich, tar-thick and yum.
DRINKS I opted for a single gin tonight, which is in no way supposed to be paired with pie, I don’t think, but the Rumsey is one establishment where whatever my beverage temptations were, I could likely have them satisfied. Famous for their alimentary discernment, they have a large real ale choice, plus the introduction of their new rum bar in their downstairs Underbelly.
VALUE I like the bolt-on style of the Rumsey menu; if pastry-swathed hot stuff was your only craving for the evening, you could buy pie, and pie alone – the same with the sausages. With both mains clocking in under £7 before accoutrements, there’s something for every size purse, but it’s worth stumping up the extra. Mashes and sides come in wide choices from £1+. Oh, and you will be FULL.
OVERALL Since their very opening, the Rumsey have stuck to a simple blueprint of food, doing a few things very well. Single clean brushstrokes on a white canvas. Teir sister pub, Te Reindeer on Dereham Rd can satisfy your more lofty culinary desires extremely well, but for good, hearty tucker that’s cosier than watching Tree Men and a Baby in your PJs on a Sunday, you can’t go wrong. I’d love to see an equally snugglesome pudding list – maybe sweet pies? – but I’m being an awfully spoilt madam indeed. Emma R Garwood
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