Stopping off in the market town of Llandovery on the fringes of the Brecon Beacons National Park this summer, we found ourselves inexorably drawn to the Bear Inn like bees to honey. Perhaps it was the fact that the building is painted a bold shade of orange. Perhaps it was all of the brightly coloured flowers and copious foliage out front, which saw the pub scoop the Llandovery In Bloom (Business) award for the second year in a row. But whatever the reason, it wasn’t a decision we came to regret – far from it.
Not so very long ago, the most exotic meal you could possibly hope to get in a market square boozer like this would consist of three bags of scampi fries. Times have changed, though, and the Bear Inn’s menu not only boasts a number of appealing Asian-inspired dishes – motorbike-mad owner Hanh is originally from Vietnam – but is also entirely vegetarian/vegan. The delicately spiced nine-bean congee – a kind of rice porridge, somewhere between a soup and a risotto – was a certified hit, flavoursome and filling in equal measure.
They know their way around more conventional pub fare too, pairing a fine Welsh cheddar – one of considerable strength rather than the sort of pallid, weedy stuff that any reasonable government would outlaw – with an exceptional caramelised onion chutney in a toasted ciabatta. The sandwiches may arrive at the table on chopping boards, and the (reassuringly stout) chips in miniature deep fat fryer baskets – but, given the overall quality of the food, those lapses into gastropub cliché can easily be forgiven.
Market Square, Llandovery. Info: Facebook
words and photos BEN WOOLHEAD