Ipswich Star's Pub of the Week is The Freston Boot

This week, I went to The Freston Boot to see what it had to offer.

I had never been to this pub before, but it was a pub that I had always heard good things about and had seen them win and be nominated for many awards.

The Freston Boot (Image: Tom Cann)

The bar at The Freston Boot (Image: Tom Cann)

I stopped off for a bit of lunch on an extremely warm day in Suffolk, as such, they were running a more limited menu, as were many other places in Suffolk.

Even the limited menu though, was stacked with options and variety for food.

I opted for the Suffolk ham, egg and chips at £14 which was presented really well. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the ham was tasty and the chips were chunky and were fresh out the fryer.

The Suffolk ham, egg and chips (Image: Tom Cann)

Whiskey's and gins from local brewerys (Image: Tom Cann)

There's plenty more on that menu that I hope to try in the future. But something that was great to see was how local the Boot is.

The general manager, Daniel Davey, met me as I entered and started talking to me about how the pub likes to try and keep things as local as possible, either from Suffolk or East Anglia.

A lot of their whiskey's and gins are made in the region, and their draught wall, the only non-local drink on offer is Estrella.

My Pressburger Pils being poured (Image: Tom Cann)

The selection of draught drinks, mainly from local brewery's (Image: Tom Cann)

I went for the Pressburger Pils from the Chevallier Brewing Company, based in Eye. It was a really good beer.

It did cost £7, but if you're having a drink in an independent pub, from a Suffolk brewery, then I understand the price a little bit more.

A lot of their food comes from Suffolk farms, their sauces are from Stokes, and a selection of their ingredients is grown in their own kitchen garden.

My Pressburger Pils (Image: Tom Cann)

Inside The Freston Boot (Image: Tom Cann)

The Freston Boot (Image: Lucy Taylor)

Another true selling point of the pub is the beer garden. Wow. It's a great garden. There's a patio area as you immediately step outside, but steps up lead to a larger garden area which seems to go on for ages.

The further you walk, the more you find. There's a space called The Kino, which is a small cinema showing films for up to 12 people.

Then there's a giant tipi towards the back of the garden, a wedding paddock and a roundhouse.

The view of the pub from the garden (Image: Tom Cann)

The courtyard with the steps leading up to more of the garden (Image: Tom Cann)

They are able to host so many events at the pub including cinema showings and comedy nights, so much so that they have been nominated by the Great British Pub Awards 2026 for the Best Pub for Entertainment.

They have also been nominated for Best Pub for Dogs, meaning it is the perfect spot for four-legged friends as well.

Time for the history of The Freston Boot and the building.

Inside The Freston Boot (Image: Tom Cann)

The Freston Boot (Image: Tom Cann)

The core structure dates back to the 1600s, with later additions in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and it traded for generations as The Boot Inn and the Old Boot Hotel.

The pub sign, a long Wellington‑style boot, references the Duke of Wellington and the 1830 Beer Act, which opened the way for many beer houses and rural pubs

After a period of closure and dereliction in the 2000s, the site was extensively refurbished and reopened in 2018, blending preserved historic features with contemporary extensions, gardens and a cinema space.

This is a great pub and I struggle to see why I hadn't been before. I will definitely be going back to try more of the menu, sample more of the local drinks and maybe enjoy an event or two.