The Griffin Inn at Swithland is the second pub in the Cat & Wickets Pub Company, owned by former England cricketers Harry Gurney and Stuart Broad. It joins its sister pub The Tap and Run in Upper Broughton. Keen-eyed cricket fans will notice the numbers ‘235’ and ‘197’ in the logos – and these are the England cap numbers for Harry and Stuart respectively.
The Griffin has undergone a dramatic refurbishment with approximately £1m having been spent. And the impact of that is clear as you arrive in the elegantly furnished courtyard. Once inside, you’re presented with a well-lit spacious room with a huge imposing bar. And just to the side, there are a couple of quiet snug-type rooms to enjoy a quiet pint by the fire. Walking through to the restaurant in the former stables, you go past two huge walls of wine! Kind of a cellar but on ground level! The restaurant itself is light and airy, with huge windows overlooking the grounds.
As you’d expect, the menu features plenty of British gastro staples such as fish and chips, burgers and steaks. But there are plenty of other options too, such as risotto, rack of lamb, poke bowls or chili halloumi. There’s a breakfast menu on a Saturday morning and roasts join the menu on Sunday too!
This is a lovely welcoming gastro pub which has been carefully renovated to retain many of the original features. But as you’d expect from two former England bowlers, there’s plenty of dynamism and flair here too!
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