Essex Days Out

The Vine Inn is tucked away in Black Notley, just south of Braintree, and just a couple of minutes drive from Cressing Temple Barn. It’s not a place you’re likely to drive past, although if you’re on the A120 Braintree bypass you will drive fairly close to it!

I dropped in there for lunch today, en route to an antiques fair at Cressing Temple Barns, which is nearby.

It’s a well-presented pub on the outside, recently painted in a very tasteful and fashionable green. It’s also traditional inside, with one end a comfortable bar area, and the main area set up for tables for eating.

It’s in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, and whilst it’s not in any way a gastro pub, on the evidence of my lunch, the quality is above the average pub food. ‘Always go for the specials’ is my rule of thumb when visiting pubs, and there were a range on offer

The landlord told me that the secret of homemade pies had been passed down through the generations, but I went for the beef and button mushroom curry with saffron basmati rice. And when it arrived it looked (for just a couple of moments before I tucked in) like this:

I’m pleased to report that it was above the standard of your average town curry house – tender meat, nicely flavoured curry, juicy sultanas, wedged of lemon, and rice cooked just right. It was washed down with a pint of Adnams Southwold Bitter, which got the nod over Mighty Oak’s ‘Maldon Gold’.

Evidently this was the last of the curry, as no sooner had I finished off my plate the blackboard was being updated, with the curry being replaced by an Adnams Beer Battered Fish + chips. mmmm.

So, a hearty recommendation from me. They run a beer fest in March each year, and I’ll be adding that to the Essex Days Out Essex Beer Festival Diary

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