As a kid in the 90s, I would regularly visit Beefeater restaurants in Essex with my Dad and other family members. I have fond memories of those evenings and remember always ordering ribs and a pint of cola but until recently, I hadn’t been to a Beefeater for years. After moving from London to the Southend area last year I’m still exploring and discovering new places to eat locally. The Beefeater Strawberry Field is around a 15 minute drive from home and is a great place to go for a late lunch/early dinner at the weekends when you don’t fancy cooking. The first Beefeater restaurant opened in 1974 in Enfield and they now have over 140 restaurants nationwide
From the minute I arrived with my boyfriend the staff were all so friendly, helpful and accommodating so we felt very well looked after. The restaurant itself is very clean and modern looking and we had a lovely, comfortable seat by the window which looks out onto the outdoor seating area.
There is are so many options on the menu that we were spoilt for choice and it took us a while to decide what to have. I chose loaded potato skin dippers to start which were delicious and my boyfriend opted for the garlic prawns. We tried each other’s starters and were both impressed with how tasty they were.
For my main meal I had to pick my old favourite, a rack of ribs. They were of the sticky bourbon variety and did not disappoint. I also love how the chips that came with them were skinny and I’m always partial to an onion ring or 3. The ribs also came with a finger bowl which was a nice touch as I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve ended up with BBQ sauce all over my fingers with only a napkin for assistance. The other half chose the 18oz porterhouse steak which was also really nice although I probably wouldn’t order it myself as I’m not sure whether I could eat it all!
We were both full but couldn’t say no to dessert. Weirdly, I’d dreamt about apple crumble that morning so when I saw a salted toffee version on the menu I took it as sign! It was everything a crumble should be and I’ll be back for more soon. My long suffering partner was swayed by the chocolate brownie after previously declaring he was only going to have a coffee. (worth a mention, the restaurant serves Costa coffee so it’s a good place to get your fix)
Overall, our meal at Beefeater Strawberry Field was a very enjoyable experience and we will definitely be returning in the near future. They may be famed for their steaks but everything else we tried was just as good. It’s a great place to enjoy a hearty meal on a chilly day and with autumn coming up, it’s the perfect time to indulge.
Chelsey Prentice 