There is a quaint little pub and restaurant, well off the beaten track, on the edge of a sleepy seaside town in Essex and little known by anyone except the locals. A quiet place, nestled between the village green and desolate marshes of Brightlingsea Creek and near the old Roman town of Colchester sits propping up a row of terraced fishermen’s cottages. A proper little pub with the obligatory open fire, real ales and fine food.

pinkPub

The Rosebud Pub & Restaurant is a traditional Essex 'beerhouse' set in the small coastal town of Brightlingsea near Colchester and Clacton on Sea. It was built in 1843 and comprises of two fishermen's cottages knocked into one. The pub is situated on Brightlingsea's village green (Hurst Green) and from the beer garden has a superb south-facing view over farmland to Brightlingsea Creek and the open sea beyond. It's a small, cosy establishment with low ceilings and a log fire which creates a lovely welcoming atmosphere. The pub is popular with locals, holidaymakers and sea-faring visitors alike. The 'Bud', as she is known locally, has been owned by the Hanrahan family for nearly 20 years. New managers Bev & Jeff Wright have recently been appointed and are now working alongside Mark Hanrahan to continue the pub and restaurant's commitment to great food. It's a fine balance between a traditional English Pub which is at the heart of the community (with strong support from characterful locals) and one that is equally welcoming for visitors wishing to sample the 'real pub' experience. The Rosebud has the best views in Brightlingsea and with the wide open playing space of Hurst Green the pub appeals to everyone including families with young children. In warmer months the covered patio area in the beer garden provides shelter from the wind, sun and rain. Recently re-decorated and re-launched the Bud is now a popular venue for special occasions and parties of all kind.

The Brightlingsea Beer Company - we recently installed a micro-brewery at The Rosebud and we are now brewing our own ales. These are brewed by Duncan Adkinson, a real ale aficionado, who is also a bar manager at our sister freehouse The Old New Inn Pub in Colchester. Our beers are only available here at The Rosebud and at The Old New Inn Pub

Restaurant & Functions

Birthdays, Weddings, Christenings, Anniversaries, Family Parties, Wakes, Leaving Do's, Engagements ... in fact any kind of event that you require a venue for The Rosebud Pub & Restaurant in Brightlingsea Essex can be the ideal choice. We are a short distance from Colchester, Wivenhoe and Clacton.

For your big day let us take away the stress.

All your catering needs from Budget Buffet to Top Table Corporate Functions with waitress-served Canapes

The Rosebud's restaurant is the perfect place to hold your function, or make a reservation for an evening out.

We have years of experience in tailoring events to suit different budgets and styles.

We have a Main Bar and Restaurant, covered outdoor patio and splendid Garden with amazing views which can be sectioned off for your exclusive use.

There is no charge for room hire, just a pre-agreed minimum spend.

Whether it's a wedding, birthday or just a night out with friends, we will help you to make it a night or day to remember.

 

 

 

 

Rosebud Gift Voucher

Need an idea for a present?

Why not send a £25 Meal Gift Voucher. Available from the pub or we can post directly to the recipient complete with personal message. For more details please email mark@rosebudpub.co.uk

giftVoucher

The Brightlingsea Beer Company

 

The wonderful world of beer and ale is now getting even better, and of course, there is no better place to enjoy beer than in a pub that brews its own. So, to compliment our dedication to providing quality ales, we have just installed our own microbrewery. Our head brewer, Duncan Adkinson, is seen here barreling his first brew. Duncan is also a manager of our sister pub The Old New Inn in Colchester town centre.

in warm pipes). Please ask the bar staff for a free taster glass.

A brew pub is essentially a pub that brews its own beer on site. It goes by the old adage that beer tastes better the closer you are to the brewery. It's certainly a common saying by Dubliners when speaking of Guinness anyway.

Duncan has so far brewed 6 different ales which you can read about on the next page

Wednesday and Sundays are brew days, and you are welcome to pop by to watch Duncan at work, he'll be happy to explain the process to you. We aim to have at least one of our ales available for sale at all times, although it doesn't last too long with our thirsty afficionados! The ales are served direct from the cask so you can be certain its a fresh as a pint can be (no hanging around

Please ask the bar staff for a free taster glass.

Enjoy!

 

Duncan our head brewer The fermenting vessel which holds over 300 pints Duncan emerging with a fresh barrel

The Beers We Brew

 

BBC1 - 'Nip in the 'bud' - 4.3% ABV
Our first ever brew. The Champion Ale from the BBC.  Dark in colour and very full flavoured with Pale Malt and Chocolate Malt.  Challenger Hops give a nice dryness on the finish and leaves a gentle lingering on the tongue.  Easy drinking and always a winner. Named by 'Jack', one of our regulars.

BBC2 - 'Mary Dilk' - 3.7% ABV
A cheeky little rascal, this one.  Made primarily with Pale Malt but with a light amount of Chocolate Malt thrown in to give a sweeter edge on the finish.  Not too heavily hopped, which gives a little nod to the Mild’s of old.

BBC3 - 'Lion Ale' - 4.1% ABV
A Golden Ale as a homage to the Tendring Lion.  Plenty of hoppy bite and as it is 100% Pale Malt, and very clean crisp flavour.  So if you are ‘feline fursty’ get this down your neck.  It won’t be ‘lion’ around for long...

BBC4 - 'Dark Side of The Spoon' - 4.3% ABV
A Black Beer with oodles of Chocolate Malt, giving a real mouthful of chewy Malt with a pleasant hop resonance in the back.  This is the old school Porter style beer, best enjoyed in large glasses!

BBC4 Extra - 'Pale Black' - 4.3% ABV
A pleasant little number made up of two malts; Pale and Black (hence the name!) and finished with both Challenger and Cascade Hops.  Slightly darker than a Copper Bitter, but pleasantly round on the tongue with a perfect balance of hop on the finish.

BBC5 - 'Hoptimus Prime' - 3.1% ABV
Our latest; Pale Malt & Chocolate Malt give this beer a rounder feel in the mouth than some hoppy beers, but with lashings of Challenger Hops you still get the dry finish you expect.  Very more-ish and ever so drinkable.

Lunch Menu

Luncheon, commonly abbreviated to lunch, is a middle of the day meal, and is generally smaller than dinner, which is the main meal of the day whenever dinner is eaten. The origin of the words lunch and luncheon relate to a small meal originally eaten at any time of the day or night, but during the 20th century gradually focused toward a small meal eaten at midday.

Luncheon  
Warm Plum and Goats Cheese Salad, with caramelized Walnuts (v).
£5.50
Club Sandwich and home-cut Chunky Chips.
£5.95
Gammon Steak with sauté New Potatoes and poached Egg.
£6.95
Greek Salad- Mixed leaves, Feta Cheese, Olives, Cucumber, roasted Peppers and  Lemon Olive Oil (v).
£6.95
Sausages and Mash Potatoe with Fried Shredded Leaks and Peppercorn Sauce
 £7.50
Goats Cheese Linguine with mixed Mediterranean Vegetables.
 £7.50
Chicken Ceaser Salad - char-grilled Chicken, Cos Lettuce, Parmesan, Anchovies, Croutons and Ceaser Dressing. £7.95
Salmon Nicoise- Pan fried Salmon, new Potatoes, hard boiled Eggs, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Olives and Dressing. £7.95
Pan-fried Scallops, with a Potato Risotto, Bacon, Capers and Parmesan. £8.50
Pan-fried Calf Liver and Prosciutto Ham with Colcannon Mash and Onion Gravy. £8.50
Battered Hake and Salmon with Pea Valoute and chunky Chips. £8.95
Side Salad £2.50
Chunky Chips £2.50
Homemade Onion Rings £2.50
   
Deserts  
Tarte Tatin with Caramelized Apple and Vanilla Ice-Cream £4.95
Banana Wonton served with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Ice-Cream £4.95
Warm Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream £4.95
Belgium Waffle with Fudge Sauce and Ice-Cream £4.95
Cheese Board £7.50

Dinner Menu

Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the
day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime
meal, if it is a large or main meal.

Starters  
Soup of the Day with warm baguette and croutons £3.95
Slow roasted flat field mushroom with celeriac puree, blistered cherry tomatoes and homemade warm bread £4.20
Pork terrine, ham hock and sausage meat, braised cabbage with pineapple chutney and rocket salad £3.95
Pan fried kidneys on toasted brioche with crispy panchetta and silver skin onion jus £4.25
Pumpkin risotto finished with shaved Parmesan and garlic oil
 £4.50
Coquille St Jacques, pan fried scallop, set in a scallop shell with mournaise sauce gratinated with bread crumbs
 £4.75
Mains  
Sausage and mash served with a cream peppercorn sauce and fried shredded leeks £8.50
Roasted butternut squash with sweet potato dauphinoise, melted Parmesan served with side salad and chunky chips £9.95
Chicken with pomme puree, braised cabbage with crispy panchetta and ju £10.95
Seafood lasagne with salmon, hake, muscles and spinach between layers of lasagne pasta with a cream white wine sauce finished with Creme Fraiche with a side of chunky chips £11.95
Slow roasted pork belly with roasted leek, buttery mash, caramelised pear and a cider and whole grain mustard reduction £12.95
Poached Smoked haddock served with a fluffy potato cake, poached egg and hollandaise sauce £12.95
Herb crusted saddle of lamb with caramelised root vegetables, turned new potatoes and ju £14.95
Mixed seafood platter, King prawns, scallops, muscles, smoked salmon, a crab mousse and warm bread £14.95
8 oz Rib eye steak with red onion marmalade and melted brie served with slow roasted mushroom and jus and chunky chips £15.95
Deserts  
Tart tatin with caramelised apple and vanilla ice cream £4.95
Banana wongtong served with toffee sauce and clotted cream £4.95
Chocolate brownies served with vanilla ice cream £4.95
Belgium waffles with fudge sauce and ice cream £4.95
Cheese board £7.50

We serve Dinner between 6 and 9pm Mondays to Saturdays and may be taken in our covered patio area with views over farmland to
Brightlingsea Creek and the open sea beyond. The Rosebud is a small pub with a limited number of tables so we advise to book in advance where possible.

 

 

Sunday Lunch

The Sunday roast is a traditional British main meal served on Sundays (usually in the early afternoon for lunch), consisting of roasted meat, roast potato or mashed potato, with accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, vegetables and gravy. It is popular throughout the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Other names for this meal are cooked dinner, Sunday dinner, Sunday lunch, Sunday tea, Roast dinner, Sunday Roast and Sunday joint. Joint being a word that specifically refers to the joint of meat. The meal is often comparable to a less grand version of a traditional Christmas dinner in these cultures.

2 courses for £10 - 3 courses for £14  
   
A Choice of Starters  
Cream of Cauliflower soup with parmesan, croutons and fresh Baguette.  
Plumb and Goats cheese salad with caramalized walnuts and balsamic dressing.  
Prawn Cocktail with prawn marie rose sauce, brown bread and lemon.  
Whitebait with mixed salad leaves and lemon.  
Main Courses to choose from  
Roast Striploin of Beef, Roast Potatoes, Buttered Veg, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy.
 
Roast Suffolk Pork, Roast Potatoes, Buttered Veg, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy.
 
Roast Chicken, Roast Potatoes, Buttered Veg, Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy.
 
Pan fried salmon, roast potatoes, buttered veg and white wine sauce.  
Mushroom carbonara with fresh tagliatelle finished with a parmasan cream sauce (v).  
Desserts (if you've got room)  
Strawberries and cream.  
Vanilla chessecake.  
Poached Pear with Toffee Sauce and Ice-Cream.  
Mixed Ice-Cream.  

White Wines

White wine is a wine whose color is slightly yellow. This kind of wine is produced using non-coloured grapes or using red-skinned grapes' juice, not allowing it to extract pigment from the skin. White wine's colour can be derived from an assortment of grape varieties. White wines are made from the grape juice and grape skin of green, gold or yellowish coloured grapes or from just the juice (not the skin) of select red grapes (as in some Champagnes).White wines are often consumed with lighter meals, or as an apéritif. They are more refreshing, lighter in both style and taste than the majority of their red wine counterparts, making them ideal for spring and summer occasions. The old guideline of "white wine with white meat" still holds true in many instances, but there are plenty of exceptions and palate preferences that dictate which wines to pair with what foods.

    Price
Vesare Pinot Grigio - Italy Soft, medium bodied and well balanced, very easy drinking. £12.50
Auction House Chardonnay - Australia Lovely open lemon and lime flavours with creamy mouth feel along with good acidity- delicious. £13.25
Cape 312 Chenin Blanc - South Africa Clean and lively with lemon and lime flavours and a pleasing finish £13.50
Les Palombieres, Colombard- uni Blanc - France Crisp and fresh with open citrus fruits and ripe pear aromas £14.50
Century Hill Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand Rich and crispy with gooseberry and elderflower on nose and palate, elegant with a lingering finish. £15.95
Chateau la Noe Muscadet de Sevret et Maine Sur Lie - France Top quality ‘Sur Lie’ Muscadet for a fuller, crisper wine- superb! £16.25
Casa Roca Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion - Chile Crisp Sauvignon and silky Semillon giving a tropical edge. £18.50
Los Ganos Gewurztraminer - Chile Fresh fruits, rose petals and hints of spice and lychee fruit. £16.25
Domaine Bois dYer Chablis - France Fantastic Chablis, flavour of apricot skin and red apples; well made, quality wine £19.25
Domianie des Buissonnes Sancerre - France Classic Sancerre, elegant and well crafted, a top wine from this fruitful region £21.60

 

 

Red Wines

Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-coloured (black) grape varieties. The actual colour of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines.

    Price
Vesare Merlot - Italy This ruby red merlot has elegant aromas of violets and plums- a wine with
good balance and structure.		 £12.50
Pacific Heights Zinfandel - California This wine is a bold wine with ultra- ripe black cherry and plum notes with
nuances of fig, spices and toast. The luscious, concentrated fruit character
is balanced with velvety tannins from French, Hungarian and American oak
for a lingering finish.		 £13.25
Cape 312 Pinotage - South Africa Smooth, full bodied style with cherry and fruit jam flavours £13.50
Les Palombieres, Tannat Merlot - France Fruity character of Tannat is well associated with the balance of merlot. The mouth is generous and tannins are soft. £14.25
Auction House Shiraz - Australia Rich and round with well interpreted oak. Generous mouth full a must. £14.50
El Coto Rioja Crianza - Spain After long aging in France and America oak, the resulting wine is deep cherry
red with intense aromas of black fruits and vanilla, smooth and elegant finish		 £15.50
Chateau la Rivalerie l'eres Cotes de Blaye - France This Claret is well made with ripe, black fruit flavours and balanced tannins. Medium bodied with good length. £16.25
Cabalieni Di Moas Barolo - Italy Big wine. Aromas of smoke and leather with typical plump ripe fruit
flavours. Silky texture and good length finish.		 £19.25
Sticks Pinot Noir - Australia Maturation for 10 months on light lees further enhanced flavour development
and created palate softness and roundness.		 £19.25

Ale and Beer.

Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm-fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste. Most ales contain hops, which help preserve the beer and impart a bitter herbal flavour that balances the sweetness of the malt.

Apart from the Ales brewed by our very own BBC, we prefer to source locally-produced beers from East Anglian brewers.
We pride ourselves on the quality and the varied choice which is constantly changed.

Below is a selection of ales recently served.

Coyote 4.3% - Wolf - Norfolk

Norfolk Honey Lavender 3.7% - Wolf - Norfolk

Innkeepers Gold 4.4% - Sticklegs- Essex

Southwold IPA 3.7% - Adnams - Suffolk

4.4.2 4.0% - Shepherd Neame - Kent

Lighthouse Bitter 4.8% - Harwich Town - Essex

Leading Lights 3.8% - Harwich Town - Essex

A Drop of Nelson's Blood 3.8% - Farmers Ales - Essex

Puck's Folly 4.2% - Farmers Ales - Essex

Southwold

 

Brightlingsea

Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500.

Its traditional industries included fishery (with a renowned oyster fishery) and shipbuilding. With the decline of these industries, the town has become a popular destination for visitors who wish spend a day by the sea or to explore the quaint shops.

Brightlingsea is a limb of Sandwich, one of the Cinque Ports. The town retains an active ceremonial connection with the Cinque Ports, electing a Deputy from a guild of Freemen.

Brightlingsea was for many years twinned with French oyster fishery port Marennes, Charente-Maritime, but the relationship fell into disuse. In the mid 1990s, the port of Brightlingsea was used for the export of live animals for slaughter, leading to a protest campaign dubbed "The Battle of Brightlingsea".

In the centre of the town is Jacob's Hall, reputedly the oldest timber-framed building in England, built during the fourteenth century. Also in the town centre is Victoria Place, where many local businesses are based.

To the west, on the creek is Western Promenade. It has lines of beach huts, a skate park, swimming pool, boating lake, and paddling pool. It is a popular destination for tourists and Londoners. Bateman's Tower, a local landmark by the sea, has recently been renovated by the Colne Yacht Club with help from a Lottery Fund grant.

marina

 

History

John Harris Lee, the Bud’s first publican, opened his home as a ‘beerhouse’ in 1843. His main trade was as a fisherman who trawled the nearby creeks for oysters to send to the London market. The pub was to supplement the frequently lean times at sea.
In 1863 he passed the pub to his son William, also a fisherman who trawled with the oyster smack Alarm.

One cold January night of that year a ship called The Rosebud was wrecked during a winter storm off Barrow Deep, a hidden sandbank that lies a few miles from the coast at Brightlingsea. The sailing ship was carrying a load of timber down the North Sea coast, from Arbroath to London, when she was blown onto one of the many deadly sandbanks that lie just below the water’s surface. In a raging gale the crew had tied themselves to the rigging to prevent being washed overboard and certain death. In the morning after a terrible ordeal for the sailors, the storm had eased and The Alarm, a shallow bottomed vessel skippered by William, was able to get alongside and pull the men to safety - along with the ship’s fearless mouser, a black cat named Tishy. She was grabbed by the tail at the last moment by one of the rescued sailors.

Tragically the captain perished with his ship, choosing to stay with his precious cargo fearing it would be plundered and become booty if he abandoned. Shortly afterwards, William's beerhouse on Hurst Green became known as The Rosebud in honour of the rescue. The ship’s cat soon became the 'pub’s celebrity cat' and became a local attraction for visiting seafarers. Wily young William put it about that Tishy was blessed with good luck and by visiting The Rosebud to stroke the cat's tail good fortune would be passed on. Many of the landlords since have claimed they have heard scratching and miaowing coming from the pubs bar, particularly at night. They say you could always be sure the following day would be met with a viscious storm.

During recent renovations at the pub a glass bottle with a cat’s tail inside was found on a ledge up the chimney breast and is now on display behind the bar.

 

 

 

 

Map & Directions

Brightlingsea is roughly half way between Colchester and Clacton on the B1027. At the Thorrington roundabout you follow the signpost into Brightlingsea (2 miles). Follow the road through the main High St and you will shortly arrive onto Hurst Green.
There is ample free parking around the Green and surrounding streets.

 


View Larger Map

As you can see from The Rosebud's position on the map, open farmland slopes down to Brightlingsea Creek and the sea beyond. For that reason our beer garden and covered patio are very popular during the warmer months.