THE LOWDOWN

The Kings Head Inn in Brooke pub exterior

A trad Norfolk pub with a five star attitude – sounds ambitious and yet The Kings Head Inn has seamlessly managed to combine the two. Throw in a serious focus on sustainability and fresh, farm-to-fork dining, and the double AA Rosette gastropub and boutique hotel certainly had our attention.

Situated on the B1332, between Norwich and Bungay in the verdant village of Brooke, the 18th-century inn is the recent recipient of a swanky refurb which completely transformed it from a tumble-down local boozer to the destination eatery you see today. A conscious refurb – I’m talking organic, breathable paint and reclaimed materials – which took three years, and involved the addition of six boutique bedrooms, an outdoor terrace, two bars (one dog-friendly for sport-watching and boozing, one for cocktail-lounging), a restaurant and a private dining space.

Some of the fruit and vegetables from Stow Park farm which supplies the Kings Head Inn — Just some of the produce Stow Park Farm supplies The Kings Head Inn

That’s not all, this consciousness extends nine miles down the road to the 134 acres of Stow Park Farm. Owned by the same couple (talk about a recipe for hard work!) the organic farm supplies the pub with pretty much all of its ingredients – from herbs, fruit and veg to meat, honey and cut flowers. If you’re trying to keep your food miles low, it doesn’t get much better than this – and word is spreading.

The lounge area in The Kings Head Inn — The lounge area in one of the bars

Despite its fresh look and attitude, owners Peter and Karen have by no means excluded the locals. Whether you’re after a post-work pint, date night dinner, family roast on a Sunday or a cheeky stay-cay. It certainly made me wish I had The Kings Head Inn within stumbling distance of my own doorstep.

THE VIBE

One of the bars in The Kings Head Inn made from reclaimed wood — The bar made from a tree felled on the farm

Modern rustic is the best way to describe it. Where possible reclaimed wood, either from the farm or former parts of the pub, have been used throughout. The bars for instance are made from fallen trees at the farm, the wooden tables in the outdoor seating area are made using the original floorboards from the upper levels of the pub. This homespun ethos is paired with luxe touches like underfloor heating, real goat fur covering the chairs, mounted boar heads and rich, jewel-coloured paint.

One of the double bedrooms at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — One of the double rooms

The bedrooms are just the same, the headboard in ours was simply stunning. Custom made from reclaimed wood, it certainly had me thinking whether I could repurpose my own kitchen table into something similar. The rooms though relatively minimalist are not your typical B’n’B style. They’re spacious and offer more than just a bed for the night. There’s two cosy armchairs for a pre-dinner drink or to savour your morning coffee, and a large TV with Netflix and a couple of other streamers for movie nights. It leans into the R&R and you’ll certainly not be in a rush to leave.

The restaurant at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — The restaurant

Like any top notch Norfolk pub there’s a comfortable, friendly feel to The Kings Head Inn. You’ll find fresh cut flowers on every table and in the rooms, and the walls are covered with photographs of farm animals like the OG pigs which is like looking at pictures of extended family at a friends house. The transformation has clearly been a real labour of love and you feel it where ever you go.

SCOFF & QUAFF

No contest, the food is the BIG draw here. The regularly-changing menu is a lover letter to seasonality and what is ripe for picking at the farm. We didn’t struggle to choose and it all sounds delicious. You can tell the kitchen team and the farm owners have a great dialogue and are open to experimentation when it comes to the dishes yet they aren’t pretentious, I’d describe them as pub classics but with a high end twist.

Amuse-bouche of stilton and sunflower gazpacho at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — The amuse-bouche and the addictive soda bread

The amuse-bouche of spinach and sunflower gazpacho, and ginger and mint palette cleansers later, were an unexpected lovely addition, one which elevates The Kings Head Inn from standard pub grub to gastronomical. It’s no surprise they clocked up their AA rosettes within just several months of opening.

I’d like to give a moment of appreciation for the bread which accompanied our gazpacho. Made in-house, we spent ages trying to figure out what it was neither guessing it was soda bread with honey, it was utterly delicious. Even if the rest of the meal had been sub-par, I still would have raved about that bread.

Though I visited at the beginning of June, it was an unseasonably cold and windy day so comfort food was high on the agenda. For starters we opted for the Norfolk Dapple twice baked soufflé which was served in a creamy, buttery sauce with leek, potato puffs and chives which toed the line perfectly between rich and decadent and light and fluffy. And the ham hock terrine which was hearty and delicious, served with a mustard emulsion, pickles and more of the famous soda bread, though only two slices which wasn’t quite enough for the generous size of the terrine so we gladly accepted more, thus the obsession continued to grow.

Sheep picture on the walls of restaurant of The Kings Head Inn, Brooke

For mains, we couldn’t resist the meat dishes knowing once again they had come from the farm. Happily ignoring the pictures of sheep, cows and pigs around us judging our dinner spoils, we chose the dry aged ribeye steak which came with a lip-smacking bone marrow and horseradish butter, Stow Farm garden salad, plum tomato, caramelised shallot and chunky chips. And the lamb, which was so fresh it was practically still bleeting. This came with charred cucumber, asparagus and broccoli stem, a mini lamb hotpot and super tasty gravy I could have drank through a straw.

Chocolate crémeux dessert at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — Chocolate crémeux

Portion sizes are generous, but like everything on the menu, the desserts are worth relinquishing your top button for. We went for the chocolate crémeux with miso caramel, peanuts and banana and the beautifully decorated rhubarb and ginger set pudding which came with poached rhubarb, a rhubarb sorbet, torched Italian meringue and edible flowers which was *chefs kiss*.

Rhubarb and ginger set pudding at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — Rhubarb and ginger set pud

Drinks wise, again the wine list is modest but it doesn’t keep you wanting. We chose a plummy Ventoux which paired particularly well with our mains. For beer drinkers, everything on tap is local except its most recent addition, Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone, making The Kings Head Inn one of only two places in Norfolk to serve it. And, coming in at under a fiver a pint, you can bet the locals are happy.

The atmosphere was buzzy yet relaxed, everything arrived at a steady pace and no one was rushed for their table. We took our time, but left a number of diners still chatting and chewing, hitting the sack replete and ready to catch some much needed zzzs.

The famous Kings Head Breakfast, full English at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — The famous Kings Head Breakfast

Come morning it was back for round two. For those staying, breakfast is served between 7.30am-9am offering your usual selection of classic breakfast fare. We went for Eggs Royale and the famous Kings Head Breakfast, a full English with bacon, sausages, field mushrooms, toms and eggs from the farm along with some cracking homemade baked beans. Needless to say it set us up for the day. On Saturdays you can book brunch between 10am – 12pm even if you’re not staying which is another win for locals.

PILLOW TALK

Double bed in a room at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke

There are six boutique boudoirs just outside the restaurant, perfectly situated so you aren’t bothered by kitchen noise or hubbub from the bar, yet close enough that you don’t have far to stumble (or roll) after your evening meal.

Rooms 1 and 2 exteriors at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — Two of The Kings Head Inn’s rooms

Each room has a HUGE ensuite with a large wet room style shower, double bed, TV, hairdryer, kettle, teas and coffee as well as a small bottle of fizz each on arrival.

Teas, coffee, kettle and two bottles of fizz in our room at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — Greeted by these creature comforts in the room

There was ample storage space too which was handy as we came dressed for all weathers. I personally found the kettle too small to fill up two cups of coffee in the morning, but that is me being fussy (and uncaffeinated).

KID-FRIENDLY?

Yes, there are family rooms available if you are staying with your brood as well as kids’ menus and a grassy area behind the rooms they can run-a-mock on.

DOG-FRIENDLY?

The second bar at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — The dog-friendly bar

Yes, one of the bars allows doggy drinking buddies, the bar adjoining the restaurant, along with the rooms, remain a dog-free zone however.

ACCESSIBILITY?

Amazing! Considering it is a Grade II listed building I was expecting plenty of wonky Norfolk charm however the renovation has considered accessibility too. There is a ramp allowing easy access into the main restaurant and one of the bars, the areas of which are roomy enough to fit a wheelchair for instance. Though all the rooms are spacious and accessible, there is a designated room for wheelchair users and carers with twin beds which just shows how much thought has gone into the renovation.

ANYTHING ELSE?

The Forge event space at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke — The Forge events space

Aside from fabulous food, top notch tipples and comfortable beds for the night, The Kings Head Inn also has its very own private dining space for events. The Forge is self-contained ideal for corporate events, celebrations, large gatherings and dinner parties. I imagine the chairs covered in goat fur, exposed brick and rustic decor look stunning for Christmas parties.

Vegetable dish at The Kings Head Inn, Brooke

I’m sure I’ve scared a few vegetarians and vegans off with my talk of meat and boar heads enshrined on the walls however food wise there are delicious options for herbivores. The smoked celeriac which was on the menu when we dined looked and smelled amazing.

Free roaming pigs at Stow Park Farm, Norfolk — Stow Park Farm’s free-roaming pigs

The eco creds don’t stop at breathable, non-toxic paint and reclaimed wood, The King’s Head Inn recycles water and all kitchen scraps go to feeding the pigs. Stow Park Farm itself is organic with a capital O, I particularly loved hearing about the free-roaming piggies who had 20 acres of woodlands to run wild in, as well as all the different produce they were currently growing in abundance. Shiitake mushrooms are next on the list to cultivate, even though there’s so many amazing things coming out of Stow Park Farm and The Kings Head Inn already, I get the impression they are only just getting started.

THINGS TO DO

Arial view of Norwich city centre — @norwich_cathedral

The Kings Head Inn is a short 7.5 mile drive from Norwich city centre where there’s plenty of cultural spots to soak up from the iconic cathedral and historic castle, as well as shopping and plenty of cute cobbled streets to get lost in.

For somewhere smaller there is Bungay (8 miles) with its haunted pub, stunning church and legendary folklore, and Beccles (14 miles) across the border into Suffolk which is a great spot if you’re after a mooch around some antique shops. On the way to Bungay, stop off at Flint Vineyard for a spot of wine tasting.

Great Yarmouth seafront — Great Yarmouth

Your nearest beach is Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft roughly 20 miles away, both are great if you have your kids in tow. If you’re happy to travel further the North Norfolk coast is worth the journey. There’s also lots of lovely walks locally which is a must to walk off all the food (and make space for more).

THE VERDICT?

Good for: Any occasion whether a casual drink, celebration or family Sunday lunch. Foodies and carnivores will feel right at home as will the eco-conscious and those who care or have a real interest in where their food comes from.

Not for: Passionate vegans and vegetarians and people who like their farm fresh food with small arrogant portions.

THE DAMAGE?

Reasonable for the quality of the ingredients and cookery. Two courses will set you back £23 and three for £29, if you order from the lunch or dinner menu. The à la carte, is slightly more with starters and puds £9 each and mains ranging from £17-£28. An overnight stay in a deluxe double room is from £160 per night.

The Kings Head Inn, 6 Norwich Road, Brooke, Norfolk, NR15 1AB,

Review: Claire Hool

Muddy stays: The Kings Head Inn, Brooke

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