The Bildeston Crown - Suffolk

High Street, Bildeston, Suffolk IP7 7EB
+44 (0)1449 740510
www.thebildestoncrown.com
Review by Emily Stead

Please excuse us if we come across a little snobby, but we’ve resolved to only ever stay at hotels as nice as the Bildeston Crown from now on. The ‘Bildeston Benchmark’, as it shall henceforth be known, delivers style, comfort and an obsessive attention to detail in equal measure.

Having checked into an impersonal international chain in a posh part of London the previous night, our stay at the Bildeston Crown near Hadleigh in Suffolk couldn’t have been more different. The welcome we received was warm and the service was friendly yet professional throughout the hotel. 

There are no identikit rooms to be found in this beautifully restored, timber-framed grade 2* former coaching inn, the Tudor corridors are wonderfully wonky and you’ll be warned to duck at the appropriate moments to avoid the beams.

It was refreshing to see there was no exorbitant don’t-drink-me label attached to the water in our room, and Wi-Fi and Freesat HD were included as standard too. The flatscreen TV and extensive music system pleased my tech-obsessed partner, while the super kingsize bed and shabby chic linen appealed to the sleep-worshipper in me.

You can take your pick from twelve elegant and quirky en-suite rooms or book into the opulent Black Fuchsia Room for a truly luxurious stay.

Don’t be deceived, though – the Crown’s rural setting in beautiful Constable country is more than just a place to rest your head. Chef Chris Lee’s restaurant is the only dining room in Suffolk to boast 3 AA rosettes, and deservedly so. Lee is passionate about sourcing the best local produce for his menu, lamb from nearby Semer, rare-breed Suffolk beef and pork from a specialist farmer in Nedging the stars of the show.

We tried a Battenberg of duck with a super-smoky duck consommé espresso, breast of Suffolk quail with crayfish and leek, a beautiful piece of halibut with lobster cannelloni and perfectly pink Nedging pork with sweetbreads. The food is so beautifully presented, you’ll want to whip out your smartphone and have all your friends drooling. We managed to refrain only until a tray of gorgeous desserts was delivered to our room.
Wines ranged from a reasonable £16 to a Lord-of-the-Manor £600 a bottle, with a few carefully selected crowd-pleasers available by the glass.

Making the most of a last gasp of summer we lingered over breakfast in the sheltered courtyard, though you can of course opt for a lazy lie-in and have it in your room. The breakfast menu again used local, quality ingredients from kippers or smoked haddock to home-made breads and tasty preserves.

We’ll definitely be back here the next time we’re in need of a little R ’n’ R. You’d have to go a very long way to beat the Crown experience – it’s the jewel of East Anglia.