Crisp Batter, Deep Filling, Proper Gravy: A Regular’s Ranking of The Griffin’s Pub Classics

Every pub has a menu. Not every pub has a point of view. The Griffin in Danbury sits firmly in the second camp: a village local where the classics are not an afterthought but the whole argument. You can tell a lot about a pub by how it treats a Sunday roast, a plate of fish and chips and a slice of pudding. So, after enough visits to form an opinion and enough gravy to require a second napkin, here is a regular’s honest ranking of the pub classics at The Griffin.

This is not a scientific exercise. It is a pub debate, which is the best kind. Your order may differ. Your nan may disagree. That is the point.

The rules of a proper pub meal

Before ranking, a few ground rules. A classic should be recognisable. It should not need a foam, a smear or a lecture. It should arrive hot, in a sensible portion, with enough gravy or sauce to finish the plate. Local sourcing is a bonus, not a badge to wave around. Service should be friendly without being theatrical. And the whole thing should make you want to come back on a wet Tuesday, not just a birthday.

By those measures, The Griffin’s menu is in good shape. It reads like a pub menu should: roasts, fish, pies, puddings, a few lighter options and sides that are worth ordering on purpose.

1. The Sunday roast

The Sunday roast is the benchmark. It is also the easiest thing for a pub to get wrong: dry meat, watery gravy, roast potatoes that sound better than they taste. At The Griffin, the roast is the headliner because it understands the assignment. The meat is the centre, but the supporting cast matters just as much. Proper roast potatoes. Vegetables that have met seasoning. A Yorkshire pudding with structural integrity. Gravy that tastes of something.

The joy of a village pub roast is that it suits every kind of Sunday. A family lunch, a recovery session, a quiet pint after a walk. It is not fancy. It is not meant to be. It is meant to be the best version of a familiar thing, and that is exactly why it sits at the top.

2. Fish and chips

Fish and chips is the great test of a pub kitchen. The batter should be crisp, not greasy. The fish should be flaky, not mushy. The chips should be chips, not skinny fries pretending to be something else. And the accompaniment matters: tartare sauce with a bit of bite, mushy peas if you are serious, a wedge of lemon if you are being polite.

The Griffin’s version earns its place near the top because it does not overcomplicate things. It is a plate of food that knows what it is. On a cold November evening, with a pint of something local, it is hard to beat. It is also the sort of dish that works for a quick lunch or a longer sit-down, which is a useful quality in a village pub.

3. The pie

A good pie is a small act of generosity. It should have a proper lid, a filling that holds together and gravy that does not taste like it came from a powder. The Griffin’s pie is the sort of dish that makes you put your phone down. It is comfort food without being boring, especially when the weather is doing its best to make you stay indoors.

The pie is also where a pub can show a bit of local character. Fillings change, sides change, and that is fine. The best pub pies are not identical every week. They are the kitchen’s opportunity to use good ingredients and cook something that feels like it was made for the season rather than the spreadsheet.

4. Pudding

Pudding is not an afterthought. It is the difference between a nice meal and a proper one. A sticky toffee pudding, a crumble, a chocolate number — the details matter less than the execution. It should be warm, generous and served with custard or cream that has not been rationed.

At The Griffin, pudding is the reward for ordering sensibly earlier. It is also the reason a walk home in the dark is a good idea. Share one if you must. Order two if you are honest.

The local sourcing argument

Village pubs have an advantage over city chains: they can build relationships with nearby suppliers. That does not mean every ingredient needs a story. It means the food should feel connected to the place. Essex has good produce, good farms and good beer. A pub in Danbury should make the most of that, whether it is through local ales, seasonal vegetables or a butcher who knows what they are doing.

The Griffin’s menu is at its best when it leans into that. It is not trying to be a London gastropub. It is trying to be a proper Essex local with food worth staying for.

Your turn

So there it is: roast first, fish and chips a close second, pie third, pudding as the clincher. You will probably disagree. You might argue the pie deserves top spot, or that pudding should be ranked separately because it is a different food group entirely. Good. That is what pub menus are for.

Come in, order your version of the classics, and make your case. The Griffin is in Danbury, at the heart of the village, and the debate is always better with a pint in hand.