The Bell at Stilton, Cambridgeshire (Egon Ronay, Which Guide, Good Pub Guide, Good Pub Food). The
Bell is an old coaching inn, heavily restored as a business hotel but still doing superb bar food in huge portions -
we found the service a trifle slow. The Good Pub Guide parallels our experience, commenting on the generous
helpings of good bar food and that there may be a bit of a wait. Descriptions of food go into a lot of detail, for
example 'herby chicken liver and stilton parfait with home-made red pepper and pear pickle' (don't worry, all the
dishes aren't that fancy) and generally include price guides. Three beers are mentioned, but no hints at the guest
beer; the Bell also gets a 'above average wine' symbol.
Egon Ronay flags up good food and British cheese and
lists a few meals like 'steak ale and mushroom pie, and coriander lamb' but doesn't give prices. Again three beers
are listed. The Which Guide gives the Bell a special flag for history, something described in both the other books.
The food descriptions are better than Egon's, and beer gets a little more coverage. Surprisingly, Good Pub Food
is not as forthcoming as the others on specific meals, limiting itself to dishes with Stilton, but if you feel like DIY,
it does at least carry a Stilton recipe.
