Country pub for Autumn and Winter breaks
The Sun Inn is a 17th century thatched roof pub with rooms, in the chocolate box pretty village of Felmersham, deep in the Bedfordshire countryside. An historic rural pub, The Sun offers the warmth of traditional hospitality and great food that is home-reared and locally produced. Less than an hour from London Kings Cross, The Sun is a quintessentially British Free House and an ideal base for long country walks, summer afternoons in the cottage garden and evenings by the fire on winter nights.
Built in the 1600s, the pub, with two ensuite bedrooms on the upper floors, is part of Wild Berry Farm, a 350- acre estate and traditional mixed livestock farm, producing native and rare-breed, grass-fed Hereford beef, pork, Boer goats and poultry including Bronze turkeys and duck. The land boasts lush river meadows, species-rich grassland, woodlands and lakes and is a haven for birds and wildlife. The pub also supports many local businesses, including other farmers and estates, sourcing produce and game such as venison, pheasant and partridge, locally.
The pub was purchased by JJ and Laura Ibbet in 2019 as part of a shared vision between themselves and childhood and village friends, Peter and Conny, a couple of couples sharing a passion for quality produce, warm hospitality and creating memorable experiences. Restoration work began in 2022, and once the structural work was complete, the team embarked on a full refurbishment, with a focus on using natural and sustainable materials, to provide guests with accommodation and dining fitting for the 21st century traveller, fully reopening the restaurant and rooms in April 2023.
The farm and the pub
Childhood friends JJ Ibbett and Pete Pestell grew up knowing one day they wanted to work together. Their families and careers took them in separate directions – JJ worked widely in the farming sector and on the family farm, while Pete worked in kitchens notably under Chef and Restaurateur, Rowley Leigh, who remains a mentor and friend, and as the personal chef to the Duke of Bedford. Together with their wives, Laura and Conny, the foursome have brought new energy to the pub and to the riverside community of Felmersham.
The Food
Two monthly changing menus are offered in the Dining Room, showcasing the best each season has to offer. ‘The Farmer’s Table’ is a five-course tasting menu offering a genuine farm to fork dining experience with the majority of the meat coming from the pub’s own farm; while ‘Greengrocer’s Table’ is a vegan menu, where the vegetables are grown exclusively for the pub in the village. Meat, notably native breed beef and pork and from a herd of free-to-roam Boer goats, reared by JJ and Laura, comes from Wild Berry Farm less than 10 minutes from the pub and is finished and aged on site. Slaughter is at a local abattoir before the whole carcass is brought back to the pub’s own butchery to hang in house. Local growers in the village supply seasonal vegetables, herbs and soft fruit to the restaurant, while Pete and his team regularly forage for ingredients such as wild garlic and mushrooms.
Start with a generous portion of sourdough bread, house churned butter and chicken salt before choosing from plates such as Longhorn Beef Mince, Onions and Hash Brown; Savoy Cabbage, Curried Goat and Pickled Damson; Middle White Pork Belly, Butter Beans and Confit Duck Stuffed Shallot; Roast Darne of Hake with Partridge Sauce, Cavolo Nero and Beurre Blanc and Kouign Amann with Custard and Soy Sauce Ice Cream. As you’d expect in a proper pub, Sunday Lunch is a full-on affair with Roast Rib of Hereford Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes, Vegetables and Horseradish Cream or Slow Roast Mutton with Roast Potatoes, Vegetables and Mint Gravy.
The bar is open Tuesday to Sunday, with bar food served from the hatch Wednesday to Sunday, while the Dining Room for the Farmers Table tasting menu is open Thursday to Saturday for dinner and for Sunday lunch.
Laura Ibbett, co-owner and Director of The Sun Inn, says, “Our two families are so closely intertwined – our children are all friends together at the village school – and our relationship goes far beyond the pub and the farm. As fourth generation farmers, the pub is a brilliant opportunity to be at the centre of the community while also having a direct to market outpost for the meat we produce and creating the opportunity to constantly evolve our family farm. The fact we get to work alongside our friends, Pete and Conny, to achieve our vision of a thriving rural pub that is genuine, honest and down to earth, makes a good thing even better.”
The Bedrooms
The upper floors of The Sun have undergone extensive restoration to convert the living spaces into two newly refurbished bedrooms. Honouring the pastorale beauty of the surrounding farmland the rooms have been carefully designed combining luxurious comfort while championing natural and sustainable materials, tactility and craftsmanship.
Dawn is a large suite split over two floors with a super king Hypnos bed, free-standing copper bath, separate bathroom with walk in shower, living room and dining area with Samsung Artframe TV, Nespresso machine and Hypnos double sofa bed and kitchenette with mini bar and fridge. Conveying a strong sense of the building's architectural history, traditional fittings combine with modern elegance and British eclecticism. The original stone walls exude character and history, while tongue and groove panelling, antique brass, sisal, honey toned wooden floors and cork complement the earthy palette of shell pink, soft cream and mustard from sustainable paint company, Graphenstone. Sleep soundly in the eves after a deep bath in the freestanding copper tub using Bramley products, before a restful night’s sleep, cocooned by the paired back and natural interiors.
Modest in scale but mighty in comfort, the smaller suite, Dusk showcases that magical palette of restful dusky hues enjoyed at twilight. Recline and rest in this pretty dual aspect room decorated top to toe in the most serene green for a cosy and restorative night’s sleep.
For more information, images, interviews or to arrange a press visit to The Sun Inn, please contact Hannah Blake at The Dining Room 07730 039361 or Hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk
Address: The Sun Inn, Grange Road, Felmersham, Bedfordshire, MK43 7EU
Instagram: @thesunfelmersham Website: www.thesunfelmersham.com
