The Stratford Haven on Stratford Road in West Bridgford is an excellent local pub for a pint and a bit of pub grub.
I can still remember the days when the building was a pet shop as we used to go there to get stuff for our cats and dogs, that was back in the 90’s before it was taken over by the Castle Rock Brewery.
Affectionally known as the ‘Strat’ the pub is a nice friendly welcoming pub and being a miserable old bugger on occasions I do like that some times midweek I can slip in for a quiet pint and get a bit of peace without having to stand for ages at the bar to get served or hunt for a table.
Now don’t get me wrong sometimes I like it more lively and when this place gets rocking it is mobbed especially when footy or cricket is on. The crowds do ebb and flow here so you can pick your moments or choose your day to visit and to sup a pint depending on your mood 🙂
MENU AT THE STRATFORD HAVEN
It was such an occasion that I found myself popping into the Stratford Haven last week for some lunch. I was walking back from the post office, peered in through the door, saw that it was relatively quiet so grabbed a pint of harvest pale, bagged a table in the corner out of the way, and perused the menu for some scran.
I was sort of in the mood for some classic pub grub, something maybe with gravy like a pie, fish and chips, or possibly even a late all day breakfast situation.
The closest I could see were the Scampi and Chips or as they describe ‘Whitby wholetail Scampi, hand cut chips & minted mushy peas‘ for £9.95 or the Sausage and Mash – “Award Winning Lincolnshire sausage & mash, buttered green vegetables, crispy root vegetables & gravy” for £10.95
I have always had a decent sausage and mash from other Castle Rock pubs so I went down that road and ordered a plate.
AWARD WINNING LINCOLNSHIRE SAUSAGES & MASH
A short while later as I was just getting into my ale, I was happy to see a fully laden plate of food on it’s way over to my table.
It was a very decent portion with three rather large plump sausages sat teetered up on top of a equally large mound of mash. I could see that I had my work cut out here scoffing this plateful!
I was also very happy to see proper vegetables with plenty of soft leeks and a good sized helping of of broccoli. I guess these were the ‘buttered greens’ offering part of the meal.
A scattering of parsnip chips were strewn across the stack of food which was the ‘crispy root vegetable’ element of the dish
SAUSAGE, MASH AND GRAVY (WITH VEG)
Spinning the plate around you get a better idea of the thickness and plumpness of the sausages, as bangers go these Lincolnshire ones were really very good indeed. Nice and meaty, well cooked and lightly herbed. I like a bit more brown on mine to be honest but sometimes that ends up drying them out so I was happy enough with my lot as I had three big fat juicy sausage to work through in front of me
The mash was cooked well, fluffy and smooth, no lumps and a bit buttery just as I like it sitting in a pool of dark, rich and luscious gravy. The green vegetables were an equal on the plate and not just a mere distraction and I enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed the sausages and the mash!
I was very happy to find that the quality of the food at the Stratford Haven was still excellent. They have always had a good reputation locally for providing a good hearty meal and I have had several lunches here in the past over the years.
They have been known for a decent Sunday lunch as well and I was happy to see that is back on the menu now so I may well have to come back and check that out soon!
The Stratford Haven is located at 2 Stratford Road in West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 6BA just alongside the Co-op car park.
You can check them out online through their website via the Castle Rock Brewery and also through their Facebook page, Twitter feed, and Instagram profile. Alternatively just take a stroll into Bridgy to get a pint and some grub face to face 🙂