FOLLOWING its recent refurbishment the Bloggers visited the Kingstown Hotel to sample the menu. We were entertained by pub manager Stuart Plumb and his partner hotel-manageress Chris.
Stuart and Chris gave us some behind-the-scenes insight into the operation of the busy pub, and the changes made since the refurbishment and since Kingstown became a Fayre & Square establishment.
What struck us straight away was the fact that the pub industry is no 9 til 5 job. Stuart had come in to meet us on his day-off, but was very quickly ‘back-on-duty’ to help out.
Stuart and Chris have managed the Kingstown Hotel for over 2 years but have worked in the pub business for 16. They say their current employers are very training-orientated. In particular they organise a ‘tasting and creating’ workshop which managers attend and get the opportunity to help make the dishes that might appear on future menus. One such workshop had come up with an idea for a lager-and-lime sauce for chicken! Hmmm – now I do fancy that! 
The current menu at the Kingstown – which we previewed but wasn’t operational on our visit – contains a gorgeous-sounding Chocolate Cookie Dough Pizza; this probably started out as a workshop creation.
Another useful thing to know, is that Fayre & Square design their children’s menu by doing research with children. So they aim to include your child’s favourites on the kids menu. And you can ask about the nutritional content of the meals.
We skipped starters and went straight to the main meals. I opted for the Steak and Bombardier Ale Pie with a creamy mash potato. Mrs Blogger opted for a Salmon dish.
The Pie was lovely with a tasty crust and a filling that satisfied my craving for bombardier ale while delighting me with juicy pieces of beef! If anything the pie was too filling for my small appetite and I left a bit of the crust.
Mrs Blogger said the salmon was soft and succulent – but the chips were a bit too thin and crispy for her – she much prefers fatter, steak chips.
Service was satisfactory. Even though sat with the boss, we didn’t want and didn’t get any preferential treatment. We patiently waited in turn for about 20 minutes to get served – which considering it was a very busy lunch-time seems about right.
The chap who brought our meals made it clear that the Kingstown operated a No Quibble Guarantee. If you are not happy with the meal then they’ll change it!
We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at the Kingstown Hotel. We were far too full to enjoy dessert – but next time we will make sure we attend with emptier stomachs so that we can enjoy a Chocolate Cookie Dough Pizza!
With thanks to Stuart and Chris for their hospitality.
You can view menus and find out more about the Kingstown Hotel at their website:
Visit: Fayre & Square website – Kingstown Hotel
