The Russell Arms: I visited this famous QPR fan's viral pub and there's something special Steve Cook-ing

QPR supporters may not be able to think of a hundred reasons to be passing through the quiet hamlet of Butlers Cross in Buckinghamshire but the location has become a pilgrimage for some avid TikTok users.

That’s thanks to The Russell Arms, a community-owned pub run by content creator Roly May, or perhaps better known as DaddyMayCooks.

Fans of the father of four’s cooking and family content have been travelling from far and wide to call in at the pub and, given that Mr May is an avid QPR fan, perhaps R’s supporters should keep an eye out for The Russell Arms too.

DaddyMayCooks and his love for QPR

Mr May has explained his love for QPR on social media before, his affiliation with the team owing to his mother growing up in the Shepherd’s Bush area and living just outside of Loftus Road. The former season ticket holder is now more readily seen watching QPR in action on a livestream but does still travel down to west London, admitting he ‘bl***y loves this place’ when arriving at the stadium ahead of the 1-1 draw with Coventry City in October.

Passing through the Aylesbury area on Sunday, I decided to make the small detour to see what all The Russell Arms hype is about. The pub prides itself on offering Sunday Roasts that stick true to the sort of experience you might have at home, but with an elevated quality.

The cosy pub is surrounded by countryside, which is a hotspot for dog walkers on a cold and crisp February morning. The Russell Arms boasts a decent-sized garden out the back with its inside an endearing higgeldy-piggeldy maze with dining spaces surrounding a bar in the centre of the pub.

The pub is usually fully booked in advance on a Sunday afternoon, thanks to its reputation as a roast hotspot and social media following. However, with locals perhaps still coming out of a January slump, I managed a fairly last-minute booking ahead of last weekend.

Hoping to start as quickly as Millwall and QPR did at The Den on Saturday, I went for the famous pork belly bites to start. A dish that Mr May and the family would serve up at home before taking on the pub a year ago, it’s a must-try for first time visitors and didn’t disappoint. The TikToker’s home is armed with an array of sauces and the BBQ glaze on offer at The Russell Arms shows a man who knows his condiments.

The Russell Arms pub review

Those pork belly bites will set you back £7.50 for a portion of three large-bite pieces. The roast dinners come at between £19 for the turkey breast and £22 for the topside of beef, with the option to choose any two meats for £24.50. For non-meat-eaters, a mushroom bourguignon pie comes in at £20.

I opted for the prochetta roast, with the quality of meat without doubt some of the best I’ve tasted for a Sunday lunch at a pub - a steak night on a Thursday surely worth a visit too. The classic roasties and parsnips didn’t disappoint, with a huge bowl of greens on the side.

Known as one of the world’s biggest cauliflower cheese fans, Mr May ensures that customers at The Russell Arms are served a portion of the vegetable side with every roast too. Controversial for some, but when it’s made that well there’s no reason to take the liberal approach and include the side as part of the roast family.

Pressed for a critique of the pub grub, it would perhaps be the dainty jug of gravy, which was refilled by doting staff when needed. Seeing Mr May admit on TikTok later that day that there was a whole vat of the liquor in the kitchen, I’d probably have simply asked for a pint of the stuff if I’d known.

An hour and 10 minute drive from Loftus Road, if QPR fans are fancying a day out in the countryside and a pub lunch, the trip to support a fellow QPR fan at The Russell Arms is certainly worth the journey. Combine it on an away day to Oxford, Luton or Birmingham and you’re onto a winner before a ball has even been kicked.

In other news, an ex Newcastle United and Sunderland veteran midfielder has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ this week by QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes.