The White Hart Inn in Babergh

I visited recently on a Wednesday lunchtime to look at the pub where Wall of Death showman George 'Tornado' Smith lived. He had a famous location at the Kursaal, Southend, the largest Fairground in southern England when it opened in 1901. In the early '30's this was the first Wall of Death in the British Isles. 'Tornado' was also famous for his pet lioness which rode on the handlebars of his American Scout motorcycle until it became too large so a sidecar was added!! Locals in Boxford were not surprised to se him walking his pet in the village but I'm sur e it caused consternation along Southend seafront! There are quite a few photos in the delightful pub and what looks like an early advertising sign for the Wall of Death. The pub serves Mauldon cask beer from the excellent brewery in Sudbury. A large coffee machine provides excellent coffee to accompany the lovely cakes on display. Apparently arrangements are being made for cooked food in the evenings to augment the current panini menu. As we were only on a fleeting visit I cannot provide ratings for food etc.and at the time is was quite quiet.

Lovely pub, very welcoming owners and great beers. We loved hearing about Tornado Smith and his pet lioness!

Very nice pub good service cakes very good

We stopped in for a pint and was made to feel welcome . The people were lovely and the owner actually came out to greet us. We sat by a lovely fire and enjoyed our drinks . It’s beautiful inside , clean and very friendly .

A really cosy pub to have a cup of coffee and cake in! The premises are clean and the staff clear the tables promptly. Clean toilets and offer some feminine hygiene products. You can also have a light lunch here like a panini with crisps and salad. The cherry on top was a real log fire! Lovely! There’s a history about this pub- former home to a man who bought a lioness and trained it to perform a few “tricks”, sadly the animal died after an incident and was buried on pub grounds.

It was wonderful!! Wished wasn't driving! Lovely honest proprietor! Thank u!!

We came into boxford while we were travelling past..We noticed two pubs in the village. We went into the fleece but unfortunately they were busy and we could not get a table so we went over to the white heart (what we originally thought was abandoned) but were welcomed in by a lovely lady called carly and her two children...unfortunately the place was absolutely freezing and no food was available. She couldn't even offer crisps or nuts. There was not much to offer when it came to alcohol either (on daft). We stayed a bit to chat but had to move on as our needs were not met. Would not recommend. Owners obviously don't care about the place. Lovely location & potential.

Changed hands again in early 2023. TL;DR: Nice friendly service, decent well-kept beer, but there are better places to eat. Table stakes for pub food in Suffolk is a decent burger, and fish and chips with a good piece of haddock or cod. Fish and chips: My haddock was served in two pieces, each less than 1cm thick and 3cm wide, with lots of good (if greasy) batter. Tasty chips, albeit pretty greasy again. Small amount of rocket on the side (menu said peas, but there were none), with no dressing. OK, but very underwhelming - I certainly wouldn't rush back. Delicious homemade tartare sauce, but I had to ask for it, despite the menu expressly saying it came with the fish and chips. it (and especially some mayonnaise) then took some time to then arrive. Why not ask when ordering if condiments are more than a minute or so away? The burger was fine, but honestly fairly mediocre with a tall plain white untoasted bun. We tried two starters. Parma ham and gruyère croquettes had literally no Parma ham in them. Prawn and crayfish cocktail had crayfish substituted with smoked salmon, which we were told about. It came on a bed of rocket dressed with balsamic glaze, with lots of large tomato wedges and bell peppers, and not many prawns or much smoked salmon. The smoked salmon wasn't great either - shredded little off-cuts. Interior ambience generally quite nice, although a bit forced / pastiche in places. It is a village boozer or a gastropub with books? Mostly inherited from the previous owners. The exterior feels like a missed opportunity given the village location - they could have an inviting atmospherically-lit beer garden without too much effort. Plastic-covered menus with full page special offers front and centre for sandwiches don't scream "high end", but there are scallops and crayfish on the menu (although they weren't available today). I don't think this pub (or at least its management) knows what it wants to be. Gents toilets are very tired, with a leaking urinal with a can under it on our visit. I'd really like them to succeed and their cook seems to do OK with what he has to work with. It is a great location. But there have been several owners in a short space of time who have successively failed to realise the potential of the place. Given the current state of the hospitality industry, the obvious lack of real investment by the new owners, how deserted it was at prime Saturday lunchtime, and our fairly mediocre food experience I doubt this time around will be much different. A real shame. It feels like they are struggling and are trying to cut costs everywhere. I'd far rather they put the prices up and pay a bit more money for much better food. At least give people what it actually says on the menu. Personally, I would split the menu into bar snacks and dining, and move dining prices up a fraction to increase quality sufficiently to get more repeat custom. But I've never run a pub so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. If management are reading; I wish them well and hope the above is constructive.

Lovely little pub, food was very nice and tasty, would have been nice to have a bigger selection of choice. Philip was very friendly and will make a great landlord. Would highly recommend 👍

We just had a quick drink during the Saturday Market. I'd like to go back and try the food.

First time down to the pub since new management & unfortunately first impression was very untidy & scruffy outside area, dirty glasses in the stream garden & over grown with tall weed so you couldn't even see the stream! There was also a pint glass in the water, full ashtrays & generally looked unkempt & they were not busy as my husband & i were the only two, on entering the pub there was plaster been knocked off the wall & left on the carpet, my gin glass was covered in water marks & not sparkling clean, we were going to eat but the menu was a big plastic covered one & was sticky so we thought no! So disappointed as its a lovely place to normally sit & socialise.

I was a bit wary of this pub as it looks like one that serves basic pub type food. How wrong could I have been?! The atmosphere is not great, so if you want a quiet, intimate meal, then it's not for you. But if you want excellent food at even more excellent prices, then don't miss it. We had Hunters Chicken and it came up with chips and home-made, really tasty coleslaw. We could have had one between two with the size of the portions but were good soldiers and ate the lot! It was well cooked, well seasoned and at £10 was fantastic value. Our guest had a burger that, unfortunately, was overcooked but when we were asked why she had left it and explained, it was taken off the bill - perfect customer service. The sundaes for dessert were waist inducing and the Biscotti cheesecake was delicious. I live in Sudbury and really don't know why I am singing the praises of this pub because I really don't want too many people to discover it!

Nice pub, no food available on the Saturday, we went for the market in the car park, Boxford Market lovely stalls, lots to choose from, everyone was very friendly, we'll be going back for the market, and we'll try the pub again on a lunch time when it has food on,

We had booked in for one of their special deals. We had checked the menu out before hand so knew it was quite limited to 4 choices which was not a problem. When we got there the girl serving said that they didn't have two of the four choices so only leaving two options. There was no replacement choices. She said they couldn't get the food from their suppliers which I find unbelievable as one of the options was gammon and the other was fish! It was for my husband's birthday. Needless to say we left as there was no effort made to accommodate us. We got a very strong feeling that they didn't want to cook for us and just couldn't be bothered. Would definitely not recommend. This pub is very local to us and we would have gone frequently had we had a good experience.

Had a really good family mothers day lunch today. Lovely pub great bar and the beer was really good. Good sized car park. Service in the restaurant was great. The lady that looked after us today was attentive helpful and really nice. We all had some great food. Really enjoyed my Salmon main course. My favourite those was a really nice Apple and Pear Crumble with Custard. Some great beams and big fireplaces. We all really liked it I recommend a visit.

A hidden gem! The food was fresh and delicious and certainly one of the best meals we have enjoyed since we moved to Suffolk two years ago. The service was excellent. I would wholeheartedly recommend the White Heart.

Lovely food in a cosy pub we will definitely be back soon 😀

Initially was impressed with the setting and service and the food looked and tasted great , however one of the fish and chips was appalling and when quizzed the pub said they we’re changing their fish supply if that’s the case why serve it ! . The scallops were Beautiful but again if you don’t have enough to go round say , don’t just slice them in half and pretend this is a full portion. Need more attention to these things and don’t treat customers as stupid

Cosy pub, great relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff, and top notch food 10/10!! Will definitely recommend to friends and family, you won’t be disappointed.

This was our first visit to The white hart in Boxford, near sudbury. Lovely village pub, lovely open fire which really made it feel cosy and warm. The food was so great and tasted lovely, we will definitely visit again. Good job 👏

Good ale and food and would return.

Lovely food. Just opened with new staff . I think it will go well with good honest food. Nice old fashioned bar and lovely feel.

Very friendly staff, warm environment with the style. The food is the best pub food I’ve ever had. Would 100% recommend going there

I visited this pub for the first time yesterday, it has a very welcoming and homely feel to it, it's nice and relaxed. It has a nice cosy real working fire too to add to the warmth and comfort of the place. I would definitely recommend coming here.

The coped very well with our group of 11.

Sat by a real fire and enjoyed a pint of delicious Colchester bitter. Lunch was great. Large portions of roast beef for hubby and a nut roast for me. Staff were all very friendly. Will visit again when next in the area.

A very lovely pub, with good food in a very beautiful village.

Well after staying locally we decided to eat out (as is our Sunday treat most Sunday’s). We booked 2 days previous explaining their were 4 adults for Sunday lunch, an amicable time was suggested which was agreed upon. On arriving we had just enough time to order 2 fantastic pints of ‘ Youngs old London’ beer and 2 soft drinks for the ladies before we were escorted to a snug. The bar itself was very cosy with a real wood fire at one end. The atmosphere in the snug was that of a period dinning room, lovely beams and lovely wooden tables. There were 3 tables that seated 4 persons with ample room. All 4 of us ordered roast Sunday dinners mine was beef, my oh my just wow. Huge slices of the most succulent beef delicious obviously home made roast potatoes, Brussels, cabbage, cauliflower cheese, plus other veg. To top it all a gravy to die for. Staff were very attentive nothing was to much trouble. Another pint of delicious beer later & we barely managed to finish our main course. Every time I thought I’d finished I found parsnips or some other yummy item ready to devour. 4 happy customers later and they brought out the desert menu (well it was Sunday so seemed rude not to & well it’s the law or so my mate said lol) I had the mist glorious fabulous wonderful bread & butter pudding I have EVER eaten. It was so light and full of flavour it was almost soufflé in texture just brilliant. This accompanied with custard and a scoop of vanilla ice cream was the nuts.

Popular pub, always a great visit...

Stayed in Boxford for the weekend and called into the pub whilst out walking the dog. Dog got treats straight away... Chose a pint and the beer battered haddock, which turned out to be a great choice, well cooked and served. Portion was huge and struggled to finish but everything tasted great. Well worth the money and a second visit. Would certainly recommend...

Incredibly friendly people, even on a busy bank holiday weekend Friday evening. Fish and chips are truly fantastic. Great atmosphere. (Ale was perhaps a bit lukewarm for my taste, but I am no expert.) Highly recommended.

Lovely atmosphere nice place for a drink

Piazzas are rock star. - love this pub! Scott G

Lovely pub. Good food and beer. Brilliant staff

Superb!! Just so accommodating and friendly. Sarah and her daughter Bell, serving were a breath of fresh air in this world where customers don’t come first any more. Well worth a visit and the wait for the stunning freshly cooked dishes. We had the specials menu, sea trout and the vegan massaman curry. Highly recommended!

The food and beer at this pub are outstanding. Had a Sunday roast today and it is the best I have had for years and very reasonably priced. I don’t understand why it wasn’t heaving there. If the locals don’t start using the pub then they will loose it soon

The best Sunday lunch I have had for years. Great beer as well. All very reasonably priced and a lovely building to boot.

My family and I visited the White Hart for dinner a couple of weeks ago, as a birthday treat. What a treat it was. The service was excellent and the food absolutely delicious. I had the salmon bowl, my husband the burrito and my daughters fish and chips, which was huge (amazing value for money). I would most definitely recommend visiting here.

Lovely pub....amazing home made food....Great atmosphere...what more do you need!! I'm a pescatarian & I had plenty of choice. Vegan burrito was soooo tasty. Great selection of beers. Staff are great & very friendly. Please pop in if you are out that way

We visited the white hart for a girls catch up over dinner. The menu had plenty of exciting choices it was difficult to choose as everything sounded so tasty, also good choices for the vegetarians in our group. When the food arrived it did not disappoint delicious good portion sizes. All the staff working on this evening were attentive & friendly. Excellent range of drinks all delivered to our table. Will definitely recommend this place to friends & family.

Great food. Friendly and helpful staff.

It's hard to know where to begin when praising The White Hart, but the exceptionally good food (varied and exciting menu) and great choice of drinks are only surpassed by the quality of the hospitality. You are instantly made to feel welcome and nothing ever feels like too much trouble. The bar area is populated by locals and visitors alike, and it's always telling when locals choose to dine in the charming and comfortable dining area. This makes it not only a destination pub but also an integral part of the rural village community. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

I have lived in Boxford for two years. I find the pub VERY clicky.. You cannot get to the bar because of locals, who take up the bar area, and look at you like your S H i t. I didnt get served for ages as i couldn't get to bar. Never go again. Stick to weatherspoons so much a better pub.

Had a great stay here, the pub lovely and the food we had on Saturday night was historic. The accommodation above the pub is something to behold, great if you have children, you can sit upstairs and nip down for drinks/food and bring it back up.

Had the most fantastic time at the weekend here. We hosted a 1 year wedding anniversary party for all our friends and family who couldn’t make our wedding last year due to covid restrictions, and the white hart didn’t disappoint! The service was brilliant, atmosphere...

Loved it 😍 Great staff and food We stayed above the pub, we will be back because we loved it so much x

Food was really good, staff were exceptional. Thank you Shannon

Friendly cosy pub with blazing fire and full of original features

Spent a fun afternoon in this lovely pub..food looked great but we weren't eating. Lovely beer garden and a couple turned up on horses and our dog loved it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A great place to have a great meal. Nice friendly staff and are pet friendly

Lovely pub, was working in the area so stopped in for a pint after job completed, nice warm decor with fireplace, how a village pub should be. 😉

Visiting as a family of four with a 4 year old and newborn. On arrival we were met with a warm welcome and offered a selection of seating to cater for our pushchair. Menu had a lot of choice, as it was a Sunday we...

A lovely pub built a few hundred years ago and full of genuine oak beams. Food was excellent with decent non frozen chips! and lovely batter on the fish. Service casual but good

Cosy and friendly, food very good.

Lovely pub enjoyed our lunch infront of the fire. Everyone very friendly and welcoming looking forward to another meal. Oh and this pudding was amazing.

Wow! What a happy find. Walking across the beautiful Suffolk countryside we came across The White Hart. At lunchtime. What an awesome coincidence … 🤣 … so we stopped by for a couple of pints (as you do) and a pair of baguettes - delicious, wonderfully prepared, tasty fillings … a treat! The Grade 2 Listed pub dates to the 16th C and has a fascinating local history (no spoilers). We were warmly welcomed by Shannon …. and the whole team are smiley and delightful. Classic best kind of pub inside - we’ll be back!

Brilliant service friendly atmosphere always feeling welcome can't recommend this place enough

Lovely warm cozy pub. We just stopped for coffee, the coffee wasn't great but not bad. Staff were friendly and helpful. Toilets were clean.

Wow this place is a find. Really warm welcome and very dog friendly. Had a nice hearty meal with good wine and great friendly service, even our pooch got a treat and drink on the house. Easily the stand-out of the pubs we visited over...

A terrifically warm welcome, lovely attentive but not over bearing service and great food. Good beer, dog friendly & warm fire. Genuinely could not hope for more. Thank you for such a lovely lunch!

Lovely little cosy old pub great food

Great food and warm friendly staff

Lovely place, lovely people, we had brilliant calves liver and bacon, 10 out 10, well done!

Very hospitable lovely friendly staff thank you.

Good food,good venue,excellent service,brilliant staff

Stopped for a meal on the way to Bury St Edmunds.... Absolutely gorgeous food and great service

Nice pub but very long wait for food unless pre booked

Nice attentive staff, and quick service.

Great 'heart of the community' place, but in a way that really works and doesn't alienate outsiders.

This is my local and it's the best local in the whole world, fact!

The White Hart in Boxford is a dreamy local Suffolk village pub with a very warm welcome from lovely Julie. The ales are local and pristine and the food is top notch - the Calamari is a must, melt in the mouth with a tangy...

The perfect village pub that welcomes strangers like friends . We arrived on a wet Saturday afternoon with our dog and couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. We decided to reappeared later for supper and the food was amazing, the setting comfortable and...

Stopped off at The White Hart on the off chance as we were passing and found a jewel of a place. The most friendliest, helpful welcoming staff. Food was superb, tasty and plentiful, great value for money, wine was good too. 👍 Added bonus very...

Went for a Sunday lunch and was amazing, best one I have had in ages definitely going to be going back!

Excellent service and a lovely atmosphere but unfortunately the food wasn’t anything special. Very limited choice for vegetarians so I chose the beetroot and fig salad starter as a main. I was disappointed that it didn’t come with a dressing and found it lacking in...

Had a really nice meal here, great food, very friendly staff and locals, well kept cellar, also very dog friendly. Highly recommended.

Had dinner here while staying nearby for a wedding. Welcoming service, friendly and quick staff and nice drinks. Food was tasty and prompt, we were in and out in an hour but could have stayed longer. Prices were good too. Great experience all round.

Lovely little village pub with very friendly staff and great food! Thank you!

Lovely pub, lovely beer, lovely food, lovely people.

Had a really lovely lunch here on a hot summers day. We were running about 15 minutes late so I range ahead and was no problem. They moved a table into the shade for us and brought out a high chair and within minutes we...

Fantastic food and service from a very lovely and dedicated team. We're only here on holiday but we've booked to go back for another meal before we leave.

Waited over an hour for a burger and 2 pizzas which tasted awful couldn't eat it and expensive.

Met with an old friend on motorbikes. Stopped here for lunch after we read the reviews & it was recommended. We were not disappointed. The food was excellent, as was the service. Thoroughly recommended location.

Both food and service second to none in a friendly atmosphere .Enjoyed taking our drinks after lunch to sit by the stream in the beer garden Thank you .

We enjoyed a fantastic Sunday Roast today - absolutely delicious! Julie and her team welcomed us and looked after us throughout our meal, nothing was too much trouble. We all loved our lunches and will definitely return very soon.

Lovely lunch here today, food and service superb and the setting is beautiful. Can thoroughly recommend this stunning pub.

Loved the food and great service too

This is a little gem in the peak village of Boxford Suffolk. The building inside is stunning and beautiful. They have lovely garden areas at both the front and to the side, with the river running freely. The home made food is amazing and second to none, and is an absolute must for genuine foodies. I have eaten here many times and will certainly be returning in the very near future. The service is impeccable and they will always try to accommodate what ever your needs. If only there were more pubs like this with such passionate owners.

Spent Bank Holiday weekend visiting Boxford and had good night at the White Hart on the Saturday. We and our little dog were made very welcome by staff and locals and the pub had a relaxed friendly atmosphere. We went back on the Sunday and...

Stumbled across this pub on our way to Semer. Lovely food & every staff we met were so friendly, happy & welcoming.

Wow what can we say apart from AMAZING . Julie and the front of house staff were helpful polite funny and so accommodating and Bex cooked up the most spectacular tasty food . This is a must go to pub for the best food service...

This is the best pub ever, run by the kindest people. We were a group of cold, wet, hungry cyclists. We had contacted Julie at The White Hart in advance of our ride and she had agreed to open up the pub specially for us, prepared the most amazing and thoughtful buffet, and was the most fantastic host. We were overwhelmed by the thought that had gone into it, the quality of the food and the homeliness of the pub. We couldn't recommend The White Hart more.

This is the best pub ever, run by the kindest people. We were a group of cold, wet, hungry cyclists. We had contacted Julie at The White Hart in advance of our ride and she had agreed to open up the pub specially for us,...

Lovely atmosphere , great food and fantastic service ! Well worth visiting ..looking forward to going back !

We have just returned from a lovely meal at the White Hart. The service was brilliant, always friendly and very welcoming. The food was very nice, we have eaten there many times and have never had a bad meal there. We are very lucky to...

A great welcome from friendly and helpful staff. Very dog friendly. Excellent food snd beer. Honestly what’s not to like? Yes a roaring fire would be nice by next winter. But give them a chance- it’s early days and they were hit by this wretched...

OK, it was a windy cold May day soon after lockdown, and we went there for an evening meal. There weren't many choices of places to go. The pub was quite cold. A log fire would have made all the difference. I noticed that the...

My wife and I love this place. The team running it are most positive, friendly, helpful and they serve terrific food. Go there hungry, portions are large and presentation is great. Dog friendly and our three dogs are well accepted. All round superb venue, go there, you will not be disappointed. We're going there again tonight, third time in a week. Say no more. Oh, lovely beers, fab. Tony Perrin.

Lovely pub; great food and beer at a reasonable cost. Attentive and chatty service!

Perfect country village pub. Go ladies! The pub is (spotless, cosy, welcoming and comfortable), The food is always fabulous and the friendly welcome and relax vibe makes visiting a pleasure.