Blunsdon Arms, North Swindon
3:41pm Monday 15th January 2007 in
IF YOU build it they will come, goes the line from the old Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams.
And it's certainly proved true for the Blunsdon Arms, the newly-constructed pub in North Swindon.
It's the first time the 176-strong Ember Inns chain has built a pub from scratch and the company should be pleased with the results.
On two recent lunchtime visits - one in the week between Christmas and the New Year and one last week - the place was buzzing.
There was some controversy when the pub announced that it had a no under-14s policy, but it looks like there are plenty of locals who don't mind at all.
And judging from the busy car park on both occasions, people from outside the immediate area are travelling to enjoy its food too.
The pub has a contemporary interior design, combining warm colours with feature fireplaces, leather sofas, eclectic pieces of art and cosy nooks and crannies - and lots of tables to dine at.
It seems to be more of an eating rather than drinking pub, with the food being a cut above standard bar fare, without resorting to trendy wine bar prices.
From the speed everything arrived, and the amount of people eating, I imagine many of the dishes must be pre-prepared, but there was a freshness about them often lacking in pub grub.
Drinkers aren't forgotten though and a state-of-the-art cellar ensures all drinks are served at the correct temperature - lagers at 2-3C, bitters between 10-12C and wines perfectly chilled. There were certainly no complaints about our bottle of Pinot Grigio.
Back to the food, we liked the idea of the small plates menu (£3.25 for one, £5.99 for two or £8.95 for three), trying five of the 11 choices over the two visits - spicy chicken skewers, lamb kofta kebabs, a selection of mini tortilla wraps and quesadillas called Mexican bites, bruschetta and Penang king prawns in a chilli, coconut milk, spinach and coriander sauce. We enjoyed them all.
Mains include hearty meals, lighter bites, burgers (£5.45), sandwiches (from £3.75), jacket potatoes (from £3.45) and salads (from £5.95).
Cod and salmon fishcake (£4.75), from the lighter bites menu, had lovely chunks of fish in it and was served with salad and chips. I had asked for roast veg instead of the fries but when that was forgotten and I queried it, a bowl of vegetables were swiftly delivered extra, free of charge.
Other mains sampled included a really filling and tasty smoked haddock dish (£7.75) in a cream and spinach sauce, served with mash, roast veg and green beans; and a fiery chicken jambalaya (£4.75) which had rice, prawns and chorizo sausage in the steaming hot tomato and veg soup base.
The desserts are all around the £3.15 mark, with a sharing platter at £8.55 with Belgian chocolate pudding, chocolate brownie torte, vanilla cheesecake and clotted cream ice cream. We only meant to have a small taste of each but somehow it all managed to disappear!
Tea or coffee is a reasonable £1.25 and there's a Winter Warmer special offer of two drinks, including wine or a pint, and two meals from a choice of six, for £9.99 from Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm.
Blunsdon Arms
Thamesdown Drive, Swindon, SN25 2NA
Tel: 01793 729801
Opening times: 11am to 11pm daily. Food is served from noon until 9pm
Facilities: Disabled access (including WC), car park, children over 14 allowed if eating with an adult, small smoking area
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