Gastropub

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  The Bull at Barkham

  Barkham Road Wokingham Berkshire RG41 4TL
  
  Tel 0118 976 0324
  Web www.thebullatbarkham.com
  
  Mon-Sat 11.30am-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm; Sun noon-4pm

  

  Lots of restaurants talk of locally sourced ingredients featuring on their menus, but the Bull at Barkham takes that to a whole new level, with the cheesemakers who work just a few hundred yards down the road from their restaurant providing the culinary jewel in the crown for a lot of their menu.

  Made with Channel Island cow's milk, Barkham Blue is a firm, buttery, slightly open textured cheese which is versatile enough to prove a great draw for several dishes on the menu. Our personal favourite is the award-winning Barkham Bull bangers and mash, which boasts sausages made with local pork, sage and Barkham Blue cheese.

  If you want something more straightforward, the Bull has all the regular homemade pub favourites on offer, including beer-battered fish and chips and moules marinieres – there's plenty more ambitious dishes to try if you have the urge. Just make sure you save room for desserts - the homemade Whisky & Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding is a memorable end to the meal.

  A blacksmith may not seem like the most sensible place to enjoy a meal, but the Bull at Barkham makes a major dining room feature of the 17th-Century forge which takes pride of place and the ambience is friendly and comfortable with exposed beams and a warm atmosphere.

  You can also buy cheese, jam and lots of the other locally made items on the menu with you to take home for a slightly unusual alternative to a takeaway.

  

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