The Bull Freehouse opens in Troston near Bury St. Edmunds

I have to admit, although I lived in Suffolk for most of my life, until I had never heard of Troston a few weeks ago.

With fewer than 1,000 inhabitants at the last census, the village’s long-standing claim to fame was its pretty parish church, the walls of which were adorned with rare medieval murals. But it seems that is about to change, as the only other major premise, The Bull Freehouse, opened recently to receive rave reviews.

The Bull Freehouse in the center of the village of Troston near Bury St. Edmunds
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

Behind the bar are my colleagues Ben Davenport and Sam Darling, who have a wealth of experience in the industry. In addition to running a Michelin-starred pub, Ben was the hospitality director for the Somerleyton Estate and responsible for reversing the grocery stores at The Oaksmere. Sam is a former protégé of Ben, and the duo have worked together for almost a decade – even touring Europe on some sort of “grand tour” before Covid.

Ben Davenport is a co-owner of The Bull at Troston near Bury St. Edmunds with friend Sam Darling
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

“When we came back, we really wanted to do something for ourselves,” says Ben. “We didn’t want to work for other people anymore.”

The hunt for premises was on. And when foodies stumbled upon The Bull (which had been closed for three years) last fall, a mission began to create what they hope becomes a real destination, with the full trifactor – excellent food, brilliant Beer and first class service. “But we are a pub,” Ben would like to point out. “We don’t want to be presumptuous. We are not a pub masquerading as a restaurant. If you want to buy a beer and a pack of chips or a Scottish egg this is great. But if you want a bottle of Pommery and a five-course tasting menu, we can too. ”

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Transforming The Bull can really be described as love work. Ben and Sam spent much of the winter in the mud, digging space for an elevated vegetable garden that was already planted with berries and saplings.

Raised beds at The Bull in Troston, where the team grow their own fruits and vegetables for the kitchen
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

In the outdoor dining area at The Bull
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

The reconstruction of the interior was also associated with challenges. “It was literally like a ghost pub,” explains Ben. “The guy who had it closed it and left everything in place. There were three-year-old packets of chips, three-year-old bottles of Coke in the basement, dust that caked everything together. We tore it apart and now we have a really nice country pub vibe that reflects the area we are in. ”

Chef Ian, Ben’s former head chef at The Oaksmere, had great fun putting together a menu with the couple that emphasized seasonality, sustainability and taste.

Occasional guests can in the garden (large, with a stretch tent and other seating areas) with a wild rabbit cake on homemade ketchup or vegetarian arancini with raisins and caper puree Sicilian style next to a glass of wine from the “very interesting, super cool wine list”.

The bar at The Bull Freehouse in Troston offers interesting wines and rare spirits
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

Otherwise, the sharing records have initially proven to be popular. A sausage board with a homemade ham hock and a pork head terrine. Another step that takes seafood to the next level: Earl Gray tea and whiskey wild game bass, shrimp ceviche, hot-smoked salmon, dressed cromer crab and Hawaiian-style swordfish sack – all made with the kitchen’s own sourdough.

“For the main courses we currently have an absolutely bang-out linguine with seafood, squid noodles, lemongrass and coconut. Obviously there is a burger pressed in house with Gruyere cheese and a really chic seasonal vegetable salad that sets it off nicely. And we make steak, but without all the usual ingredients. Ours is 30 days old and comes with tender broccoli, bacon and a leek and potato gratin. It is going very well. That’s the lentil rendang – we’ve sold a lot of it. ”

The interior of the Bull in Troston has been completely renovated
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

In addition to puds for those with a sweet tooth (think chocolate pithivier with chocolate earth and white chocolate ice cream or mango bavarois with tropical salsa, blackcurrant gel, melon sorbet and sesame tuile) cheese is high on the agenda.

“We love cheese here and our menu changes every week. In front of the house, write down the cheese menu as it should and we will temper the cheese. It’s not cold when it comes to the table – what is it about? We have a piece of marble in the kitchen and all of our cheeses come out before service so they are at the right temperature for customers. ”

Current offerings include Welsh Blue Pearl Las, washed Maida Vale rind, nutty, hearty Old Winchester and Cornish Yarg wrapped in nettle.

What about Sundays?

“Our customers will get a real Sunday roast experience. Additional jugs of sauce come as standard on the table. If you want more Yorkshires just ask. The beef is a good piece of sirloin, properly cooked and pink in the center, with the fat being rendered down. Pork belly comes with a crispy crackle. And we have employees in front of the house who really take care of it. Sunday is a very valuable day for people and we will bend over backwards to make sure they have a good experience. ”

Ben almost forgets to mention that there is a microbrewery on-site in the rapture of the menu.

“Oh yes! We brewed a lot! There is a term for brewing: No matter what liquid you brew your beer from, the name of this liquid is alcohol. So … we called our Bull Liquor. It’s a great golden ale with pronounced bitterness and it is quite malty and is around 4%. We will slowly expand this offer. We can brew about 450 liters at a time and we have invested a lot of effort and money to achieve this because it is a real challenge for us to to be a small pub that also brews its own beer. ”

In addition to the beer and kickass wine list, Ben says there are over 120 spirits behind the bar, from Bombay Sapphire to rare and unusual bottles that he believes you won’t find anywhere else on-site. “Think of gin in Port Barrel in France – we have the only bottle left. There are many that we have collected over the years and saved for “when we have our own place”. ”

Bookings for the new company are filling up, which Ben and Sam hope will be the first in a series of pubs going forward. The Bull is closed on Mondays, only open for drinks on Tuesdays and serves lunch and dinner Wednesdays to Saturdays (Sundays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

Older trees, including this impressive pasture, can be found in The Bull’s large lawn garden
– Photo credit: Charlotte Bond

Visit to Troston

Ben says, “We’re north of Ixworth and a half a mile south of RAF Honington. The Ampton Estate is right on our doorstep with a huge lake you can walk around with a footbridge across from it. We are ideal for many walks and bike rides. And we’re dog friendly too. ”