The Woolpack takes the crown for its location in what could be the most beautiful setting in the Cotswolds. Up on a hill overlooking the Slad Valley, this is where local poet and novelist Laurie Lee used to pass time until late into his life (he’s buried in the church across the road from the pub). Interiors are pretty much unchanged with thick-cut wooden tables, chipped-paint walls and a rickety old piano for late-night playing. And it’s really a proper countryside boozer but with serious food to match. Book a table for after a long walk (it’s pretty thigh-burning around here) because the reward? Steaming mussels with cider, a suet-crust pie (if ox cheek and pickles walnut is on the menu, order it), deviled kidneys, blood cake, onglet and chips. Not to forget a very restorative pint of ale. Any tart on the pudding list should also be ordered.
Address: The Woolpack Inn, Slad Road, Slad, Stroud GL6 7QA
Website: thewoolpackslad.com
Roots & Seeds Kitchen Garden, Cirencester
There’s a lot going on in Cirencester, and we are saying it now: there is much more to come. Just look at the spiff up at Cirencester Park, the country estate of the Bathurst family, where the boys (Toby Baggott and Sam Lawson King, who also set up the now-closed Scenic Suppers, a glasshouse in a field supper club near Stow) behind Roots and Seeds have taken over the former foxhound kennels and stables. This is all-day farm-to-fork dining at its best – relaxed, no fuss, and very delicious food, most of which is from the market garden. The cafe aims to be 75 per cent self-sufficient by 2025, so they also hit the sustainable note.
Address: Roots & Seeds Kitchen Garden, The Old Kennels, Cirencester GL7 1UR
Website: rootsandseeds.co.uk
