The Bull Inn: Award-Winning Food Near Stortford with Joe Clark

This episode is brought to you by: StortAI: https://stortai.com/ StortBox: https://stortbox.co.uk/ Bishop's Stortford Community Newsletter: https://bishops-stortford-community-newsletter.beehiiv.com/ Joe Clark runs The Bull Inn in Much Hadham, a refurbished village pub around 15 minutes from Bishop’s Stortford, serving restaurant-quality food in a warm country pub setting. In this episode, Joe talks about the work that went into transforming The Bull, including the refurbishment, the new food direction and the team behind the kitchen and front of house. He also shares what it meant to win a best food award through Punch Taverns, and why he sees the pub as something the village can be proud of. Joe also discusses the pressure facing hospitality businesses, from food inflation and staffing costs to business rates, national insurance and VAT. He explains why busy pubs are not always as profitable as people assume, and why supporting local cafés, restaurants and pubs matters more than ever. **Links** **The Bull** https://www.thebullmuchhadham.co.uk/ **Stortford Spotlight** **Billboard in Jackson Square** “VAT’s the problem.” Joe chose this to highlight the pressure on hospitality businesses and the campaign to reduce VAT for the sector. **Secret Spot** **Green Dot Café** https://www.greendotcafe.co.uk/ Joe chose Green Dot Café in Hockerill, run by Sharon and Stuart, for its food, coffee, team and atmosphere. **Local Legends** **Adam at The Cock -** https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063763142035# Joe gave a shout out to Adam at The Cock for running a brilliant local pub and being someone he can turn to for advice and support. **Support the Podcast** You can support The Bishop’s Stortford Community Podcast through The Giving Lottery. Every ticket helps fund equipment, recording time, and the ongoing work of telling local stories while also supporting good causes. Support here: https://www.givinglottery.org.uk/support/bishops-stortford-community-podcast-cic