A pub that does amazing pizza? P+P? Could it work?
I don’t go out much. Let’s be honest. Although I try to reduce the impact it has on me, having an autoimmune disease can be pretty debilitating with the almost constant fatigue, and the side effects of my disease and medication.
A week or so ago, my mother asked my sister what she would like to do for her 30th birthday.
“I would like to go to Ye Olde Ship Inn, in Guildford that does Pizza,” she chirpily replied.
To which my mother’s response was, “What? Pizza at a pub?”
And I must admit, I was hesitant. A pub that did pizza? The concept seemed viable, but I have had so many disappointing pizzas in my life, I wasn’t holding up much hope.
Flash forward to Friday night, and as we drew up at ‘Ye Olde Ship Inn’, I braced myself for a yet another ‘disappointing’ meal out. From the outside, this public house is tight on its site, sitting on a not an obviously easily accessible location in St Catherines Village on the Portsmouth Road. However, as we stepped inside, the ‘airlock’ of a front door, through the glass I caught sight of the twinkle of fairy lights, and my interest was piqued. It’s been my long-held belief that ‘fairy lights’ make everything ‘better’, and as we entered and we were greeted by a tall grinning bartender with a sense of humour and I began to be more optimistic. So often when entering a pub your initial reaction is made based on how the staff greet you, and to have such enthusiasm so early on gave me the same feeling of comfort as having a Labrador run up to meet me after a long day. Although the pub is typical of buildings of its age with limited light from windows in certain places it is remarkably bright inside with a mixture of high bar tables and seats and normal height table set ups. Warmth is created through the fitting choice of interior enhancing maritime décor, interspaced with what appeared to be novelty items like Chupa Chup sweets on the bar, and interesting packets of this and that, here and there, to the point you felt your eyes would never be able to take it all in.
The bartender was not only friendly and welcoming, but he also told us that he had moved our table and installed us on what he considered a ‘better’ table in the front part of the pub, which he felt would suit us better. Considering our awkward number of five, this table really was great as it meant that we could all see the birthday girl and no one was excluded. Once seated, he then proceeded to give a thorough rundown of the beverages available alongside a detailed description of food offers and in particular the pizze which they are renowned for. (It later transpired that they were fully booked all weekend and we were about to find out why.)
When the beer drinkers in the party were undecided he conscientiously offered tastings, which as someone who has worked in the wine industry I heartily condone, as it’s such a brilliant way of both attracting a new audience but also of allowing people to step out of their comfort zone and have an opportunity to try new things. A super idea.
The waitress was incredibly helpful in guiding us with the portion size of the bread order and how many pizze might suit the demands of our group size.
My father is a huge bread fan and asked if one portion of the bread and oil would be sufficient. When the waitress said there was only one slice of bread with the ‘bread and oil’, my heart sank. Here, we go. Another Surrey establishment with extortionate prices for one piece of bread? But then, it arrived. The ‘slice’ of bread is a just under A4 in size and arrives like a mooring vessel in the centre of your table to the delight of all the party. The perfectly lightly golden brown toasted slab of freshly baked bread is perfect for ‘tear and share’ before being dipped into the type of olive oil which has almost a viscosity and is not in the least bitter as some are. The bread became a vessel for the glistening oil and deliciously sweet and honeyed balsamic vinegar. The simple concept of ‘bread and oil’ is elevated by the choice of accompaniments and glistening chunks of sea salt served in a little side bowl, take this starter to the next level, with my mother declaring that combined with the wine list, she would come back just to have the bread and oil with a glass of wine. Yum!
We are not pizza experts or food critics but I am incredibly fortunate to have parents who work in the commercial interior design industry (lots of restaurant research is compulsory) and my father cooks to a level far higher than most home chefs. Several years ago, his passion for food led to my parents bringing an Italian pizza oven back from a succession of holidays to Italy and for the past few years in the summer we have held pizza parties for friends and family. Needless to say, we love good food and have been searching for great pizza locally for years, but it was something we had given up on. Until now.
The pizze that arrived at our table last night went beyond anything we could have hoped for. Size isn’t important but content and ingredients are, and the pizzas that arrived were large 15-inch bases beautifully presented and laden with fantastic looking and tasting fresh ingredients. The pizza bases are incredible. So thin, so crispy, and yet still structurally intact! The bases have that delicious crunch to them. I hadn’t bothered to look at the menu prior to arrival so when presented with such a selection of possibilities it was a struggle to know what out of the delicious options to select. But in the end, we opted to share the Ship Margarita, The Prosciutto and the Puttanesca.
The Ship Margarita – £9
‘Passata, Oregano, Garlic, Melted Fresh Baby Mozzarella, Grated Parmesan DOP, Mozzarella Balls and Baby Capers, once cooked topped with Anchovy and Anchovy Oil.’
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The Prosciutto – £15
‘A Margarita out of the oven and then topped with Rockets, lots of Prosciutto Crudo, Haldiki Olive, Baby Sweet Roquito Peppers, Shaved Parmesan DOP & Extra Virgin Olive Oil £15’
This was beautiful to behold. A medley of colour and flavours, a generous handful of the rocket that provided that green pepper spice which cut through the sweet, saltiness of large slices of pink succulent prosciutto crudo. Olives on pizze can be so boring, but these bright green Haldiki olives were salty and crisp fleshed complimenting the other flavours of the pizza superbly. I haven’t seen Roquito peppers in years, and these were a bright fun addition, if seeming a tad superfluous to the other big bold flavours I was experiencing on the palate.
Puttanesca:
‘Pepperoni, anchovies, red onion, garlic and crushed chillies.’
This was a success story of simple juicy flavours brought together in a pizza that was rich and creamy in flavours topped by the bite of spice.
So the staff are friendly and helpful, the food is unbelievably delicious, could this pub get better? Oh yes. r a trip to the bathroom I walked past a giant stuffed Labrador guarding a jar of dog biscuits, next to the water for dogs and a jug to replenish it. (Someone there really does think things through!) As my dogs were not there to review said biscuits, I naughtily pocketed one or two which when I brought a few home for my hounds to review they declared were delicious too!
If you do choose to explore a little you will discover a rather tempting children’s corner filled with a selection of toys and games, to keep even the most excitable mini person entertained. And I mentioned the provision of Chupa Chop’s lollies on the bar? Wish I had seen those earlier…
We were rather full from the pizza, but it would have been rude not to have had a look at the dessert menu. A menu which had really taken the time to consider those with wheat intolerances, or Described by your barmen as some ‘light reading’ this was so tempting, I am just going to have to return back on a voyage dedicated to dessert tasting to sample some of them.
The most sensitive and considerate part of the whole pub was the attention given to the back of the female bathroom doors. Delightful. Considerate… So unexpectedly thoughtful.
My only disappointment? Although they have a fantastic selection of non-alcoholic drinks Seedlip has not made it to the back shelf yet.
I really had given up on finding a genuinely delicious food offer in Guildford, but last night I was proved wrong.
What has been created at ‘Ye Olde Ship Inn’ is a delight. When you step inside, you truly enter a world of food possibility complimented by an exceedingly high level of customer service. It turns out, really good food, at a reasonable price still exists, you just need to search for it. Be warned though. Once you have had one of their pizze you will be checking your diary to see when you can next make an excuse to go back. Thank you, Jeremy, Jenny and the team for making my sisters birthday memorable for all the right reasons.
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