Lunch at Sally Lunn's, Bath

I was in Bath for the day to play for a singers' competition organised as part of the Mid-Somerset Festival. In the 3 hours or so between the semi-finals and the finals, my participating schoolmates and I decided to head to this famous institution for a late lunch.

This wasn't actually my first time. As an undergraduate many years ago, I had once visited Bath on a day trip with my mother and eaten here. Their legendary buns remained amongst my strongest foodie memories, and I was indeed very excited to return.

This building also happens to be the oldest
existing building in Bath, dating from 1482.
Its foundations are far more ancient though,
like much of this historic city.

Very English and cosy interiors

Some kind of ancient title deed or royal decree?

Much has been said and written about the origins of this restaurant and its famous bun (click here for the official version) so I won't go into the whole history. While the following dishes might seem rather run-of-the-mill and not particularly blog-worthy, as they say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the 'bun', a common thread running through the menu, is reason enough for a trip to Bath. Closer to a crisp and fluffy French brioche (due to its Hugenot inventor) than typically soft and soggy English sandwich bread, it goes well with almost anything. Its feather-light texture and memerising aroma have to be experienced personally to be believed! We didn't have their cream tea today because we were here for lunch, but if things haven't changed too much from my first visit many years ago, I can certainly recommend it as well.

(N.B. All patrons are entitled to a free basement kitchen museum visit, which shows part of the foundations and the remains of the refectory and kitchen of a 12th-century Benedictine abbey complex that once extended to where Sally Lunn's now stands.)

Toasted club sandwich - half Sally Lunn bun, with fillings of smoked chicken breast, smoked bacon, mature cheddar cheese and mayonnaise. Served with crisps and a mixed leaf & cherry tomato salad on the side. A generous portion and a lovely take on a classic sandwich, chock-full of humble but tasty fillings. This was pure comfort food.

Toasted smoked salmon sandwich - also made with a half Sally Lunn bun, accompanied by crisps and a salad as above, with a slice of lemon for extra freshness to the fish. A luxurious sandwich with generous fillings of Scottish smoked salmon, dill and cream cheese - a deeply savoury and aromatic combination with which you can't go wrong.

Butternut squash soup with a quarter Sally Lunn bun. I actually enjoyed this the most because I could fully appreciate the wonders of the bun as I had during my first visit, taking the cream tea. Nothing was added to the bun here except for some light buttering, which further enhanced its lovely aroma. The rich and velvety squash soup was great too, and the parsley garnish aptly freshened the palate, but for once it was the 'accompanying' bread that took centre stage.

Historic trencher dish: casseroled pork cheek with a traditional English ale gravy. Served on a half Sally Lunn bun with seasonal vegetables. 

Trenchers are a type of plate commonly used in medieval cuisine. The first trenchers were flat round pieces of bread on which food was served, before versions made of metal or wood appeared around 1500. The bread could be eaten with gravy at the end of the meal, or given as alms to the poor. The practice of using bread as trenchers remained popular throughout Georgian England, and one might reasonably deduce that the round Sally Lunn bun had been part of this tradition as well. Today, of course, for the purpose of hygiene, this historical re-creation comes nicely presented on a real ceramic plate.

The trencher dish before me looked authentic enough; two chunks of meat on a round slice of bread, with gravy poured generously all around. I couldn't get enough of the pork cheek; this is a relatively scarce cut, which I actually prefer over pork belly in terms of flavour and texture. Here, the perfect balance of fat and lean parts ensured a tender and juicy bite, while the mildly bitter gravy aptly enhanced the pork cheeks' lovely rich taste. However, I was disappointed, though perhaps not surprised, by the bun's soggy texture. Its legendary lightness and fluffiness had all but disappeared, being soaked in the gravy, and it became just another slice of bread with toppings (as with the other trencher options, I would think). This was definitely not the best way to enjoy a Sally Lunn bun but at least the meat made up for it!

Traditional Somerset apple pie made with Bramley apples, sultanas, and a touch of cinnamon. Served with local Ivy House clotted cream.

I found this rather disappointing. The pie crust was very thick and dry, and had a strong dough-y aftertaste instead of a lovely oven-fresh aroma. It didn't help either that this slice of pie had been served rather cold. The filling was significantly better, but again could have been more moist. The clotted cream on the side was palatable enough but had also been served a little too cold and hard; perhaps allowing it to sit and warm up a little prior to serving would have unleashed the full extent of its silky luxuriousness. On the whole, this was not a dessert I would recommend.

Despite some kinks in the food, this was still on the whole an authentic and satisfying experience. Service from an old gentleman was polite and personable, in true English fashion. I surely wouldn't mind returning again for a couple more hours in more relaxed circumstances, if I had the opportunity to do so!