Richie brings his flair to pub food at refurbished Bull Inn

THE Bull Inn, Stanford Dingley, will reopen next week following a £200,000 refurbishment.

The pub, once a favourite of Prince William and Kate Middleton, has been closed since January.

However, chef patron at The Bladebone, Chapel Row, Richie Sanderson, saw an opportunity and signed the lease in April.

A new kitchen has been fitted at a cost of £50,000 and all of the bedrooms have been refurbished with LED TVs and king-size beds. Other key changes include new bathrooms, a cellar and bespoke furniture.

The pub will open with a menu focusing on “doing pub food well”, which will feature dishes such as oxtail soup, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, Vicars sausage and mash [named after Ashampstead meat suppliers Vicar’s Game] and a range of sandwiches and light bites.

There will also be a grazing menu of small dishes that can be eaten in the bar area, including Dingley Scotch egg, pulled pork sausage roll and cheesy scones with Alba white truffle oil.

Mr Sanderson said: “We decided to take it on because of the success of The Bladebone.

“It’s going so well there we felt we were ready for a second venture.”

It will be “completely different” from The Bladebone, he said.

“With The Bull, we are going for a traditional pub. The Bladebone will remain our gastropub.

“The emphasis is on pub food, but with our flair.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We haven’t changed it from a pub.

“We want to keep these pubs alive and show people that they can thrive.”

The Bull will reopen at 6pm on Saturday, September 29, for drinks. It will then be open for food from Sunday lunch the following day.

Mr Sanderson also owns RS Catering, based in Thatcham.

The company covers events, weddings and corporate parties among others. It also caters at Englefield House.