The Bluebell Inn Cocking

The Bluebell Inn Cocking, nestles in the heart of the West Sussex Downland.

A five minute drive away from Midhurst and a fifteen minute drive from the Cathedral city of Chichester.

If you’re looking for a place to rest your weary head after a day of walking on the South Downs, a day of shopping in Chichester or after attending one of the local events look no further than this beautiful, comfortable establishment.

The Bluebell Inn Cocking

The Bluebell Inn offers local, classic pub dishes, an A la Carte menu and also caters for special diets including an impressive vegetarian menu.

The village of Cocking is located right at the heart of the South Downs National Park, a paradise for walkers and a perfect place to take your pooch for a walk.

The Bluebell Inn will even allow your four legged friend inside the garden room for a pint! Well maybe of water!

And if you need a packed lunch to take with you on your walk, you just need to pre-order and it’ll be ready well before you tie those walking boots.

Places to visit in the local area include Goodwood, which is a 5 minute drive away. Events include: The world famous Festival of Speed, The Revival and the Glorious Goodwood horse racing.

The Bluebell Inn offers three en-suite double rooms and this family flat consisting of a double room with an adjoining twin bedded room that both share a shower room and toilet.

Can’t you just see two little ones bouncing on the beds? Or is that just me reminiscing about my childhood?!

My room, Room 3 gave me a magical experience. With a mattress that cushioned me like a big chunk of cotton wool, this princess wasn’t feeling any pea under her mattress!

All the rooms have a step back in time feel, decorated in an assortment of luxury fabrics and high end wallpaper and beds that looked like they came straight off the set of Bedknobs and Broomsticks!

There are bottles of wine in each room to purchase if you fancy a nightcap after the bar has closed.

My Sister and I were invited to stay at The Bluebell Inn to help the Owner, Simon and his staff, celebrate their first anniversary.

Their first year has been a roaring success and by the looks of things it’s only going to get better.

The food speaks for itself and the chef has an outstanding culinary background, as always all of his food is hand prepared fresh, with flair and much love.

Chams Lachheb has been at The Bluebell Inn in Cocking for just ten months and has already established himself as a master of his craft.

Despite having a decidedly French background, Chams has mastered fine modern British cuisine and creates it for diners at The Bluebell Inn with such enthusiasm.

He trained in The Imperial Hotel in Sousse, Tunisia, where he worked as a commis chef in the pastry department. He loves making desserts, which suits me because I have a really sweet tooth!

His experience in Tunisia was followed by ten years working at Comme Ca in Chichester.

Here he developed his own style in the kitchen and began experimenting with more local ingredients – something that the Owner is keen to maintain at The Bluebell Inn.

The menu is changed seasonally, so there is always something new and flavoursome to try.

So what culinary delights did we have?

Sat in the light and airy restaurant  we studied the menus.

Well, we started with a Basket of Focaccia with Olive Oil and Balsamic for 2.

A lovely rich liquor to dip the home baked bread into and who doesn’t love to dunk!

My starter was Twice Baked Gruyere Soufflé with a Sun blushed Tomato and Chive Vinaigrette.

Such a light soufflé with a crispy topping and the vinaigrette complimented the cheese perfectly.

Suzie had Rope Grown Scottish Mussels cooked in Garlic, Parsley and Mushrooms.

She was perfectly happy shelling and slurping the broth that the mussels sat in. Such a huge bowl!

I’m a vegetarian, so for the main course I choose the Butternut Squash and Sundried Tomato Tart with a Chive Cream Veloute.

Beautifully crisp pastry with a moist filling that hit the right notes, the chive cream didn’t overpower the other flavours, perfect.

Although this dish would normally come with salad I asked if I could have some hot vegetables instead. On a cold day, lettuce is the last thing on my mind!

As ever, the staff at The Bluebell can accommodate your requests with no trouble at all.

Suzie had the Roasted Fillet of Monkfish with Tiger Prawns with a Cider Beurre Blanc.

Not really a peep from her apart from ‘this is delicious’.

So both meals came with a selection of seasonal vegetables cooked to perfection.

Now dessert, definitely my thing and always eaten with a teaspoon so it lasts longer!

I had the Light Belgian Chocolate Pyramid with Passion Fruit Ice-cream.

Absolutely out of this world and a pyramid even Tutankhamun would have been proud of!

The passion fruit ice cream cut through the sweetness of the chocolate and if it had been an empty restaurant I would have licked the plate clean!

Suzie had the Traditional Apple Crumble warm with Vanilla Ice cream, a lovely pud for a cold wet day, and sure to warm the cockles of your heart!

After dinner, coffee and a lovely touch if you’re a Malteser lover like me!

The Bluebell Inn prides itself in making sure you eat well, sleep well and enjoy a relaxed experience with them.

A little snug offers an out of the way seating area to chat quietly about your day and plan your next one.

The garden offers a seat in the sunshine to gaze at the rolling hills ahead and take in the fresh air.

If you’d like to experience what we did this weekend, then head over to The Bluebell Inn Cocking website and book a room, look at the extensive menus and maybe plan your route across The South Downs.

I just can’t wait for the beautiful fire to be lit, shoes off and tootsies warming, yes please!

If you see this sign and you’re looking for a bed for the night, an excellent meal and quality service pull into The Bluebell Inn car park and enjoy the experience.

I guarantee a stay here won’t leave you feeling like a blue belle; you’ll just want to tiptoe through the tulips!

The Bluebell Inn Cocking, definitely worth a visit.