Wymondham – Robert Kett

The first pub in our study tour was the Greene King operated Robert Kett, which is the only one of the venues that we visited that’s a bit of a walk outside of the centre of Wymondham. It’s part of the Meet & Eat concept that Greene King have, something which worked when we saw it in action at the Gemini in Dereham. The pub opened in 1974, although the roof had to be replaced in 1999 when the roof caught fire and was destroyed.

The pub is name after Robert Kett who was a prominent figure in 16th-century English history, known for his leadership during what became known as the Kett’s Rebellion in Norfolk. Born in the town, Kett was a local farmer who rallied locals against what he considered the oppressive enclosure of common lands by wealthy landowners. In 1549, Kett led a rebellion that saw thousands of rebels occupy Norwich and seize the city, which was seen as highly sub-optimal by the authorities. The authorities took back control and executed Kett, with his body hanging from Norwich Castle as a warning to others not to interfere with the arrangements of Government.

They serve food at lunchtimes and in the evenings, with a specials board visible by the door.

The main menu.

And the lunchtime menu. There were no other customers ordering food during our visit, but perhaps it’s more popular in the evenings. I imagine by the size of the menu that a fair chunk of this is brought in from food suppliers rather than anything being made in-house.

The only real ale option was the Tribute from St. Austell Brewery and it wasn’t short measured but the team member was concerned about the quality and asked me to try it. It was fine, although the serving style of not running some off first seemed brave as they likely went through over a pint trying to serve it. The service at the bar was friendly, there was a warm welcome and a polite farewell, with the environment always feeling inviting and comfortable.

It’s a sizeable building but it all looked well maintained and clean.

The on-line reviews are mostly positive and it seems a reliable option for those in the area who want food or drink. There’s a chain feel which means that I can’t imagine many people will come out here for a special visit, but there is a sizeable local population whom I’m sure it serves most admirably. It felt a welcoming venue, everything seemed organised and it was a perfectly positive start to the day.