A very exciting week for the whole team here at the restaurant as we have our first ever national Guide recognition with a listing in The Good Food Guide. As the Guide is a user led organisation, it’s really pleasing to know that our guests have nominated us, the Guide has inspected us (incognito!) and we have been commended. The photo above might in reality require some imagination if you were to visit the farm this weekend (!!) but the logo is real and is true now!
Although the full listing is available only to Good Food subscribers – click here for a link offering you a reduced price membership offer – I will quote some of their words about us … “cooking that is firmly from the gutsy, no-frills rulebook” and “don’t miss the spicy Tuscan fennel sausages”
So along with a huge thank you to all who nominated us, can we beg a further indulgence? We have also been nominated as one of their Best Local Restaurants 2025. To secure a listing as one of the best 100 local restaurants in the UK would be extraordinary – if you have enjoyed eating with us over the last year, please take a moment or two to follow this link and add your vote. In the comments section, please feel free to describe our compliance with the judging criteria:
Independently run; owned by the chef or a hands-on proprietorOffer regularly changing, seasonal menus at affordable pricesDemonstrate strong relationships with local suppliersBe rooted in the local community. Offer at least two dinner services a week. Give customers a genuine, warm welcome.
So back to the real stuff – what’s on this week’s menu? It is, of course, St Patrick’s Day on Monday so we have several “Irish” inspired dishes on the menu. To start, we’ve smoked a whole Loch Duart Salmon – we will be serving thick slices with our Borodinsky Rye Sourdough. To follow, there are two Irish inspired dishes – Ham, Pease Pudding and Parsley Sauce and Corned (ie Salt) Beef with Wild Garlic Champ and Pickled Walnuts. The Irish may not, on the island, have consumed much Corned Beef but they were one of the world’s major exporters of Salt ie Corned Beef before the port of Fray Bentos in Uruguay took the lead and turned it’s feeble tinned version of “bully” beef into the staple of the British Army’s diet from the Boer to the Second World Wars. Corned beef (named for the “Corn” of Salt used to preserve the beef for export pre-refrigeration) can be a delicious dish and when the beef in question is a whole Longhorn brisket from Cornbury …
Finally, on an administrative note, there are resurfacing works on the Yarnton/Cassington road over the next 2-3 weeks. Although works should only be happening on weekdays/nights rather than weekends, you might wish to come via Bladon if coming from the North or via the A40 and Cassington if approaching from Oxford. The road from the West via Cassington to Worton Park will be open throughout.
