The wonderful constitution of weekend brunch speaks leisurely mid-morning intervals, sipping on coffees, interspersed with good chat, fine company and of course, deliciously tasty, locally sourced, mouthwatering offerings in a relaxed village – style pub setting. Cue, the newly refurbished original member of the Beautiful Pubs Collective, The Forge Inn. Still retaining their cosy, village feel and ambience and only a 20 minutes drive away, comes the Saturday brunch menu. You can enjoy the most beautiful brunch at The Forge Inn now. It’s time to make Saturday brunch plans and leave the city for this well-loved independent pub, which recently celebrated it’s 15th birthday.
The Forge Inn is the first member of the Beautiful Pubs Collective current trio, with the others being, The Rutland & Derby and the Knight & Garter. The latter two are located in the centre of Leicester and each has it’s own distinctive character but all have the same ethic of delivery, quality and service.
Located right in the heart of Glenfield village, in close proximity to the M1 with great links and only a short drive from Leicester City Centre, the Forge Inn has had a refurb. Low lighting, dark wood finishes, indoor and outdoor dining facilities as well as a private dining area for those special occasions, not forgetting the welcoming extended bar area.
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The Interiors
Upon entering the new Forge Inn, the co-ordinating interiors coupled with the flow of colour, texture and lighting are striking. The bustling bar area greets you as you walk through to the new, elegant yet cosy decor.
Expect teal and muted terracotta, velvet touch booths, dark stained wood accents and accessories, green potted foliage, upholstered leather look seating with buttoned back rests and leafy teal and neutral toned floral wallpaper. Finished off with local photography shots and invited sections throughout the pub.
The private dining room is a new addition and is decorated with the same theme running through and perfect to host your soiree in elegant surroundings. A central table is surrounded by 12-16 chairs with lit cabinets containing wine selections, Once the doors is closed, the space allows a very private yet exclusive feel, yet in an attractive village-forward setting.
The stand-out element of the decor has to be the bamboo and rattan individually shaped lampshades which hang at differing lengths. Together with the green foliage, these add a little slice of Bali to the pub, well, they made us reminisce!
The Little Touches – Brunch At The Forge Inn
If you frequent the Beautiful Pubs Collectives venues, you will be familiar with the little details and how they’re all part of making the venues special. At the Forge Inn, this is no exception of course. Newspapers and magazines at the bar to enjoy over brunch, the cute little bottles your milk is served in for hot drinks as well as the signature discreet and attentive service of the staff.
The Brunch Menu
The brunch menu features three sections, from your; Waker-Uppers, think Bloody Mary’s to take care of your hangovers, Espresso Martinis, Mimosas together with non-alcoholic options.
The ‘Hydration’ section, which is all about the juices, coffees and teas. If you haven’t tried the Hooghly, naturally indulgent teas yet, this is your sign to try one of the delicious flavours on offer which we can vouch are some of the most specialist teas we’ve enjoyed.
The final section is all about the main event – Brunch!
There are seven option to choose from and keeping the menu quite simple ensures that these few items are executed beautifully to say the least.
Egg lovers are covered with two options including Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine. Those who prefer their breakfast slightly smaller can opt for a roll, carnivores can indulge on the Blacksmith’s Breakfast, a full English, or Steak & Chips and then there’s the plant-based breakfast to which if you’re vegetarian, you can add eggs.
Finally for those who have a sweet tooth or like to finish brunch with dessert, go for the pancake stack with bacon or bananas and maple syrup. These can also be made to suit plant-based diets.
The Food & Drink – Brunch At The Forge Inn
Brunch Chez Be-lavie kicked off with a cappuccino and Americano. The morning caffeine fix was closely followed up by the tomato juice with a dash of Worcester sauce and apple juices for morning hydration.
The Americano is just the perfect morning wake-up call with the luxurious-feeling cappuccino toped with a fine sprinkling of chocolate dust.
Moving onto the main brunch, the carnivore opted for the Eggs Benedict. A fresh toasted baguette topped with tender, perfectly salty, cooked ham and two poached eggs, finished with a generous drizzle of Hollandaise sauce. The portion was perfect in size and the egg yolks ran beautifully when sliced.
The vegetarian selected the Plants-based English Breakfast which included, two peppered vegan sausages, grilled asparagus, crispy potato rostis, smashes and well seasoned avocado, a sweet roasted plum tomato topped by a field mushroom and a perfectly fried egg, for vegetarians only, with a separate mini saucepan of baked beans.
A generous portion and exquisite cooked, down to each of the individual ingredients. The al dente asparagus to dip into the runny egg yolk, with the spicy peppered sausages and salty crispy hash browns to the sweetness of the tomatoes and the earthiness of the mushrooms. Great quality ingredients married with great cooking, decidedly deliver on taste.
The perfect sweet treat to round off this fabulous brunch is most definitley the pancake stack with bananas and maple syrup to share. The most fluffiest pancakes layered with slices of sweet yet not to ripe bananas and finished with a drizzle of maple Syrup. So easy to share and devour as the pancakes themselves are so light and melt in the mouth. Cooked to perfection. A little cute touch could be to include a tiny cup of maple syrup to top up the little ends. But that’s just a little personal preference!
Brunch at The Forge Inn: Round-Up
Brunch at the Forge Inn is truly a foodie forward event. Local, ethical, great quality ingredients, cooked with care and attention coupled with the beautiful surroundings provide a beautiful village-style haven to enjoy Saturday brunch.
The service, ambiance and food offerings are just what we expect and love from the Beautiful Collective Pubs and the Forge Inn is no exception here. It’s friendly, its pretty handsome, and the brunch is marvellous. So, get your weekend started the right way and head to The Forge Inn!
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The Details
- Location: The Forge Inn I Main Street I Glenfield I Leicester LE3 8DG. Tel. 0116 287 1702. I Website
- Locate on: Maps
- Hours: Mon-Weds 10:30-22:00. Thurs-Fri 10:30-23:00, Sat. 10:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-22:00.
- Reservations: Always book if you intend to eat, to avoid disappointment.
- Extras: The Forge Inn also offers other great dining options such as Sunday Lunches, all-day food menu, private dining as well as coffee and cake.
- Car Parking: Available to rear.
- Dog Friendly: Well-behaved pooches welcome.
Full Disclosure: This post is part of a long term collaboration with The Forge Inn including social media content. All opinions and views are our own and together with the photography, are a copyright of Be-lavie For further information, please see our Disclosure Policy
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