Bang goes the pre-Christmas diet. By the end of Sunday lunch at the Forge & Fern, my trouser button was in danger of popping off – I was so full, I could barely move.
Since it opened in the summer of 2022 in the old Red Lion pub, Forge & Fern has certainly become the place to go for hungry and thirsty Staple Hill residents. And when I arrive on Sunday lunchtime, the place is bursting – had I not booked, I doubt I would have got a table.
Pubs up and down the land are struggling and customers have less money in their pocket for eating out but this corner of Staple Hill seems to be bucking those trends. But then the roasts at the Forge & Fern have drawn a crowd since the place opened.
This spacious family-friendly venue has a lot going for it. It serves food and drink all day and it’s a stylish place a world away from the traditional boozer the building once was.
There’s a verdant living wall at the front, an all-weather garden and an alfresco terrace. It’s simply unrecognisable from its predecessor and the venue even has its own gin distillery – part of which can be spotted via a glass floor in the main dining room.
With its booth seating, marble tables, leather banquettes and William Morris-style wallpapered ceiling, the restaurant area has a smart gastropub look. On Sunday afternoon, every table was booked with families with kids and groups of friends.
There are five options when it comes to Sunday roasts, ranging from the vegan mushroom, sweet potato and spinach wellington (£17.50) to ‘The Mighty Forge Roast’ (£27.50 for a trio of beef rump, half roast garlic and thyme chicken breast, slow roasted pork belly with all the trimmings).
I went for the rump of beef, which is supplied by local butchers Buxtons. The generous slices of meat were beautifully cooked, pink and tender.
There was an enormous Yorkshire pudding, really good garlic and rosemary-flecked roast potatoes, sweet and creamy parsnip puree, crunchy spiced red cabbage, glazed carrots that tasted like carrots should and seasonal greens including sprigs of kale. It was all doused in a dark red wine gravy with plenty of backbone.
OK, at £21.50, it wasn’t the cheapest roast in the Bristol area but it was cooked with care and it was more than generous. I’d happily pay that price again.
Purely in the interests of thorough reporting, I ordered a dessert. The apple, chestnut and blackberry crumble (£7.95) was an interesting and successful twist on tradition, as was the fragrant lemon and thyme pouring custard.
As I finished my pint of New Bristol Brewery Joy of Sesh and tried to summon the energy to get out my seat, people were still pouring through the door for lunch. They’ve clearly hit upon a winning formula at The Forge & Fern and it’s no wonder they are already looking to open a second venue in St George soon – it can’t come soon enough.
The Forge & Fern, 76 Broad Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5NL.