It's been over a year since we posted our first Blog Post with our recommendations for local pubs, and since then we have found a couple more! So we thought it was about time that we updated our guests with where else we have found! It's great to have so many fabulous pubs in the local villages surrounding The Stable.

The Gardners, Tostock - 2.8 miles to the north-east
Lovely traditional pub, and really local to The Stable, built in 1530, and named after squire Gardener, the squire of Tostock. We like eating here because the food is freshly home made and therefore yummy!  The menu is big and has a kids menu too - if you finish your plate you get a free lolly!  We love the huge open fire, just lovely and toasty in the colder months.. get in there early to get one of the tables next to it.  (couple of photos below!)

The Norton Dog, Norton - 4.0 miles to the north
Also known as 'The Dog at Norton' we really love the food (real mix of dishes on the menu, something for everyone) and the ambience in this modern pub and restaurant, but in a traditional setting. In fact the interior really reminds us of the interior of The Stable. Although other pubs are nearer, it is well worth the extra few minutes in the car and it also means you may well need to book to get a table, or get there early!  They do breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a kids and a gluten free menu - fabulous!

The Brewers, Rattlesden - 5.0 miles to the south-east
Wow, just wow... if ever there was a 'special occasion' pub, then this is it! Recently refurnished and modernised in Oct 2018, their head chef (yep, I said chef, yep that's in a pub!) does amazing things to really make your mouth water and to provide you with a fantastic dining experience; definitely a restaurant in a pub rather than a pub with a restaurant!  I'd say leave the kids at home for this one, most of them just wouldn't appreciate it, and it's not cheap. We went in for lunch and got a very pleasant surprise, we now need to go back and try the tasting menu.. okay I don't want to say anymore, just go!     
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We are now in our second Autumn at The Stable at Mullion Barn and the colours in the gardens and around the village are just as stunning as last year... just beautiful!  

Here at The Stable at Mullion Barn we have been honoured as Hosts to welcome some really lovely guests.  Since we bought the Barn (and the adjacent holiday let) in 2018 all our reviews and recommendations have been positive.  They are so lovely that we have shared a few below, make sure you click on each picture to see the full review!

Please also see our Guest Reviews page to find links to all these reviews on the relevant booking platforms' website.

In October 2018 we had a Bride book into The Stable to prepare for her big day! On the day itself we had no less than 6 beautiful Bridesmaids in blue, and a particularly pretty Flower Girl.  For the Bride and her fathers departure to the wedding venue, a very handsome classic car rolled up too.

After the celebrations both the bride and groom stayed at The Stable for their very special first night as Mr & Mrs. They rounded off their weekend with a peaceful walk in the countryside surrounding the barn before leaving for their first full day as newly weds and off to the honeymoon. Perfect!

If you are interested in booking The Stable for your wedding day preparations please don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss your requirements.

It has been such a lovely festive period at The Stable at Mullion Barn. It was our first Christmas and New Year and wow what a lovely space to decorate and celebrate! 

We started off the festivities at the award winning 4-day Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre burystedmundschristmasfayre.co.uk (always the last week in November!), which is one the country's biggest Christmas fayres with over 300 stalls.

We then set about decorating the barn, and oh what fun we had! Soooo many fairy lights, three Christmas trees and a couple of reindeer out the front too.  We welcomed lots of family and friends over Christmas and the new year and confirmed that the barn really is such a lovely space to entertain - what fun! ​

We have recently spent a day at the beautiful and historical village of Lavenham in Suffolk. It's only 10 miles from The Stable and a lovely drive through the countryside and some very pretty villages to get there.  It isn't the first time we have been, but it has certainly been too long since our last visit and it won't be as long until our next one!

Lavenham is a well known town and regarded as the finest surviving example of a medieval town in England. The splendid church and fine timber-framed houses intermingle with small cottages and crooked town houses, a lasting legacy of the wealthy clothiers in the 15th and 16th centuries. The medieval street pattern still exists today, complete with the Market Place and over 300 buildings which are listed as being of architectural and historical interest.  You could spend the whole day just wandering around the local streets looking at the amazing historical architecture and beautiful buildings! 

We discovered a really fun way to explore Lavenham by completing this fantastic Treasure Hunt Trail where you simply follow a map (available here​ www.treasuretrails.co.uk/things-to-do/suffolk/lavenham) and find out loads of interesting things about the medieval town. It takes in all the important bits including Lavenham Guidhall (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lavenham-guildhall).  It took a couple of hours in all and kept adults and kids entertained, perfect! 

We even managed to stop for an amazing (yes, really amazing and 'taste-bud-tantilising') afternoon tea at the Lavenham Blue Vintage Tea Room (https://www.lavenhambluetearooms.com) on the Market Place. Located in the downstairs of Amanda's Grade II listed cottage with views of the Market Square and the Guildhall, her Traditional Afternoon Tea is a must! All cakes, desserts and sandwiches are either homemade or baked locally in Lavenham and I must say it is one of the best Afternoon teas we have ever had. They also catered for the fussy kids and provided half portions of cake for the little ones which is always a bonus. Oh and don't leave without a bathroom stop - you will see why, as the bathroom is just gorgeous!

We couldn't leave Lavenham without browsing a couple of shops, including the aptly named Retail Therapy (https://retailtherapylavenham.co.uk) on the main street through Lavenham. They sold some really lovely clothes, handbags and gifts that we hadn't seen in other shops, they even have two shops opposite each other so if you want to see more just cross over the road!  If you are interested in wool, spinning and yarns then don't miss out The Wool Room, they spin Alpaca wool which is really unusual.

On this occasion we didn't stay for dinner, but previously we have come to Lavenham just for a meal as there are a couple of restaurants that are worth a visit all on their own, especially if you are celebrating because they really are a special treat:
- The Swan (https://theswanatlavenham.co.uk); which is a hotel and spa too, but The Gallery Restaurant is just exquisite and always deserves 5 stars.
- The Great House (http://www.greathouse.co.uk), a must if you fancy some award winning french cuisine.

Finally, if you want to find out more, Lavenham has a great website: http://www.discoverlavenham.com
Let us know what you think if you visit!

With our most local pub The five Bells in Hessett currently being refurbished (very exciting!) it has pushed us to discover some of the other pubs in the local area - and oh wow we really are spoilt for choice!

We have been frequent visitors of The Bear Inn in Beyton, but our new favourites are The Swan in Woolpit and The Six Bells in Felsham. To make it easier to find the type of pub you fancy visiting we have put a few of the local ones below, accompanied by some of our thoughts on what makes them fabulous. Please do let us know if you visit any of them, or if we should be adding some more to the list!

The Bear Inn, Beyton - 1.7 miles to the north
Great local friendly freehouse with a fab list of gins and a modern food menu, popular with locals and visitors alike. We like the way they use locally sourced ingredients and they've been in the CAMRA good beer guide for 4 years now so beers are fab. They have also redone their small garden area recently so there is lots of seating outside too.

The White Horse, Beyton - 1.5 miles to the north
Friendly country pub, currently the nearest pub to The Stable and perfect for watching the footie and enjoying a good pint of the local beer that has all the Green King specials. The food menu is wholesome pub grub, and you can even pop in for a full english breakfast! (not tried it yet so let us know what its like!).

The Swan, Woolpit - 3 miles to the east
Visited here for the first time last month and was pleasantly surprised by the food menu - modern, fresh flavours with some unusual combinations and beautifully presented. We loved the light dishes and devoured the watermelon salad, the felafel and the tempura prawns. Lovely decor and furnishings inside too; can't wait to take our friends and family to this one. No kids menu, but we quite liked that ;-)  

The Bull, Woolpit - 3 miles to the east
Thought we'd try The Bull for a last minute early Saturday evening dinner with the family, and with our expectations being pretty average when we walked in, they really came up trumps with a perfectly cooked tuna steak and Mediterranean fish stew to die for! Great kids menu and a decent size garden area - we will be back!

The Six Bells, Felsham - 3 miles to the south
After driving passed this gorgeous looking pub a couple of times on the way to Lavenham, we decided to cycle here recently from The Stable (20 mins on the bike) for a Sunday lunch and were both pleasantly surprised with the pub itself and the food. The other half had the chicken roast and I had the quorn roast, both of which were yummy, perfect roast potatoes and seasonal veg. We wiped the plates clean! It was a beautiful day so we sat outside on the decking behind the pub, lovely and quiet and shaded. We also noted that it's dog friendly pub so great for bringing the parents and their dog next time they visit!

The Horseshoes Inn, Cockfield - 7 miles to the south
A CAMRA pub, so a great range of beer, serving filling traditional British homemade pub grub, really well made with friendly service. If you like The Stable's historical architecture you will love it here too because it is a Grade II listed building built in 1350 AD with thatched roof, huge fireplace and exposed wooden beams. We shouldn't forget the really fabulous garden with gorgeous views across the local valley and a play area too!

Fox & Hounds, Thurston - 3 miles to the north
We have been visiting this little gem for years now and it being a pub that's won awards from CAMRA, it serves a great pint of beer (..or number of, more like!). They serve large plates of food from a large varied menu, so perfect if you're hungry, with a great children's menu too. But be warned you often need to book on a weekend or wait a while for a table as it's not big and it's really popular. The big plus for us is a lovely beer garden with plenty of seating and a little play area.

The Bennett Arms, Rougham - 1.8 miles to the west
No frills traditional local pub with a massive new (2018) play area and a bouncy castle in the summer months. We still haven't tried the food here yet, but we are planning to as the menu looks good. Perfect local stop off for refreshments!

Spring has most definitely arrived at the barn. So much green and plenty of beautiful spring flowers! I had to get the camera out and share it all with you; the current guests at The Stable are really enjoying the bright colours of Spring and of course the birds singing high in the trees...