Previously a licensed, now independently owned John Bull Pub, a favourite haunt of the Szeged public, has an authentic English pub atmosphere. They have enjoyed unbroken popularity since they opened nearly 30 years ago and have always changed their menu to suit the public. We spoke to Zoltán Sörfőző, head of the kitchen, about the secret of their success and the diversity of their menu.
The John Bull Pub in Szeged a unique gastronomic experience which combines a traditional English pub atmosphere with a modern and varied menu. Their concept is to combine classic dishes with local flavours and international inspirations to create a unique offering. Zoltan joined the team in 2010, after his student years, and a year later he was able to prove himself as head chef. Today he is less involved in classic cooking tasks. He is more involved in the background work and administration, by ordering, training and with recipe development but the aim has not changed. “We wanted to provide direct, quality hospitality where everyone could enjoy themselves equally,” says Zoltán.
Uniqueness and quality
To our great delight, rural hospitality is also becoming more diverse. Freshness and quality are now basic requirements that have to be far exceeded if you don't want to be shut down prematurely. In this respect, the John Bull Pub found its niche early on, as there were no similar establishments in the area. They have Guinness, Bombardier and Carlsberg on tap. The interior design is also very much in the style of a rural English pub.
Their menu includes all the super juicy steaks, for vegetarians and vegan options, the fruits of the sea and traditional meat dishes. Although it still holds true to what it is pulled out, the Hungarian soul cannot get tired of it, but the change is clearly visible. “Our experience is that people are looking for more sophisticated dishes than fried meat and gypsy pork. Our salads have always been very popular. salmon and of course the steaks.
We change the menu relatively rarely. If we do change something, the regulars immediately ask for it back, so there's more room to play with the menu and, of course, to use fresh, seasonal ingredients.” All the signs are that a tried and tested recipe is being followed. Their menu has a very even spread of dishes, and they have a large number of targeted customers from Serbia. Another important aspect for them is that they do not want to follow the current trends, they offer what is in demand. “More and more restaurants are trying to educate their customers, but we don't have that. Everyone orders what they want and how they want it, as far as possible. And if you ask for something that's not on the menu, but we have the ingredients in the kitchen, we're happy to prepare it.”
Fast and helpful communication
Like many of our partners, the majority of the ingredients on John Bull's menu come from our company. Zoltán highlights the always efficient and customer-focused communication, both in the telesales, both the their regional representative in terms of. “If there is a problem with a product, we have the shortest route to a quick and efficient solution. And I've never experienced the kind of attention from any other company that, if something I've ordered in the past arrives and is available again, I'm made aware of it. But they also enquire when I forget to order something in the middle of a busy day. We are also very happy with the value for money, which is especially true of the steaks. No other supplier has anywhere near this selection, let alone such consistent quality, so that's the only reason we can keep wagyu and angus on the regular menu.”
Address: 6720 Szeged, Kárász utca 17.
