From Sunday Lunch to Light Bites
WORDS BY Adam Edwards
The 21st-century has seen the transformation of the Cotswold pub. The days when the local was home to spit, sawdust and the agricultural labourers have vanished. Today those inns not only nod to their centuries-old heritage but also embrace the future of hospitality. With celebrities, bankers and techies increasingly drawn to the Cotswolds, the pubs have reacted and the following are among the best in our hills, including three – The Killingworth Castle, the Halfway at Kineton and the Double Red Duke, that are in the Good Food Guide's top hundred best pubs of 2025.
The 21st-century has seen the transformation of the Cotswold pub. The days when the local was home to spit, sawdust and the agricultural labourers have vanished. Today those inns not only nod to their centuries-old heritage but also embrace the future of hospitality. With celebrities, bankers and techies increasingly drawn to the Cotswolds, the pubs have reacted and the following are among the best in our hills, including three – The Killingworth Castle, the Halfway at Kineton and the Double Red Duke, that are in the Good Food Guide's top hundred best pubs of 2025.
The Killingworth Castle
It is reported that when Sir Winston Churchill stayed at Blenheim Palace, his ancestral home, where he would drive the four miles for lunch at Killingworth Castle, or 'The Killy' as it is known locally. Today he would find the same low ceilings, exposed beams and wood fires in this centuries-old pub, but his Morris saloon would probably not find favour with the locals, who include Formula One racing drivers such as Jenson Button and George Russell. The pub focuses on seasonal, wild and organic fare sourced locally and boasts an impressive list of awards. This utterly charming foodie pub has a new Head Chef, Edward Dutton, previously at the helm of Claridge's Restaurant in the heart of Mayfair, London. It's heavily booked for its celebrated, mouth-watering Sunday roasts, with accompaniments of sticky ox cheek with the Hereford beef, and brioche and truffle stuffing with the Roast Cotswold chicken, raising the menu to new heights. It also does an excellent set lunch from Wednesday to Friday.
The Killingworth Castle, Glympton Road, Wootton OX20 1EJ 01993 811 401
The Village Pub
The Romans built a villa in Barnsley, the Anglo Saxons settled there, the Doomsday Book recorded it (it had 24 inhabitants), Henry VIII gave the place to his wives as part of their jointure (properly settled on a wife) and finally, in the 18th century, with the arrival of the turnpike, came the pub. The Greyhound Inn was mainly patronised by Welsh shepherds at the time who, on their way to London, drove their flock through the village. With a change of name at the end of the 20th century, the vibe remained. The Grade-II listed building with its ancient beams, dark corners and roaring open fires still resonates with history. Furthermore, it has stayed true to what a proper pub should be.
Its food is the grub of Old England (ploughman's lunches, pies, bangers and mash), its beer foams and the atmosphere is tangible. Thursdays have become a can't-miss evening, with a selection of steaks sourced from Jesse Smith, the independent family-run butcher, served with proper chips and rich peppercorn sauce. For your quintessential Cotswold Sunday, the menu features seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, crafted into hearty classics such as sirloin with horseradish and pork collar with apple sauce.
The Village Pub, Barnsley, Cirencester GL7 5EF 01285 740 421
The Ebrington Arms
Ebrington (or Yubberton, as it's known locally) is a tucked away rural Cotswold village that is only a short walk from the charming and bustling market town of Chipping Campden. At the heart of this picturesque village, peppered with thatched cottages throughout, is the two-hundred-year-old award-winning The Ebrington Arms. With a kitchen waiting for the most exacting foodie, provenance and the utmost respect for the food produced matters here. Padron peppers, venison sausage and crispy pork belly serve as bar snacks, whilst the lunch and dinner menus boast a fine selection to suit any appetite, from their excellent double cheeseburger, through to a stunning seabass with 'nduja and mussel sauce. The pub has been described as "A classic Cotswold old school inn with extraordinary food." It has inglenooks complete with cast iron stoves, stacked logs and Victorian earthenware jugs.
The Ebrington Arms, Ebrington, Chipping Campden GL55 6NH 01386 593 223
The Bell at Sapperton
The Cotswolds is horse country, and at the multi-award-winning The Bell at Sapperton there is a designated hitching rail to allow you to leave your nag outside while you have lunch. The pub is also a designated destination for discerning foodies (fresh, seasonal and regionally sourced ingredients), wine lovers (with a self-service wine shop), real ale lovers and rural walkers in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On Sundays, in addition to the first-rate Bloody Marys, it offers Gloucestershire sirloin of beef, Gloucester Old Spot pork belly and locally sourced (i.e. Gloucestershire) roast chicken. Furthermore, it boasts a magnificent Sunday special – a West Country 8oz hangar steak accompanied by chips and large grilled tiger prawns.
The Bell at Sapperton, Sapperton, Cirencester GL7 6LE 01285 760 298
The Kingham Plough
Kingham is a hamlet that has been made famous in recent years by its annual Big Festival, hosted by Blur bassist and cheese fanatic Alex James. However, it is The Kingham Plough, overlooking the picturesque village green and owned by Matt and Kate Beamish, who learned their trade under Raymond Blanc and Jamie Oliver, that is the pit stop for gourmets. It is both a modern foodie pub as well as a classic Cotswold inn, with its 17th century limestone walls, blazing open fires, stone floors and old beams. Serving both grazing plates and elegant pub classics, behind the bar you'll find a well-kept selection of craft ales, local beers, and a carefully curated wine and cocktail list to enjoy. This gastro pub hasn't chased Michelin stars, or the London weekenders, but rather has encouraged and celebrated local custom, which is why it has retained the atmosphere of a proper, old-fashioned tavern.
The Kingham Plough, Kingham OX7 6YD 01608 658 327
The Halfway at Kineton
The Halfway is perfectly named. The 17th-century pub is half-way between the popular villages of Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Winchcombe, and Broadway. It is, in other words, smack in the middle of the Cotswolds. And its position on a small lane in the tiny hamlet of Kineton, does not disappoint. It delivers the perfect modern Cotswold pub and boasts the ideal combination of old and new – open fire, gnarled beams and a classic bar and yet all painted in a fashionable colour complemented by modern tables and ladder-back chairs. Meanwhile the food is based on local produce. It has been described as a humble pub that punches above its weight.
The Halfway at Kineton, Kineton, Guiting Power GL54 5UG 07425 970 507
The Double Red Duke
Sam and Georgie Pearman bought the somewhat mundane named 'Cotswold Plough' and changed its title to the rather glamorous 'The Double Red Duke'. The couple then did the same to the interior, to the menu and to the guest rooms. It now boasts historic charm with a modern twist. The nineteen-room inn is a warren of open fires, snugs and leather chairs. The menu is based on comfort food from the bespoke built rotisserie and wood-fired grill. The Pearmans are legendary in the world of Cotswold pubs. Over the years the couple have managed and owned several taverns and won awards for both design and cooking. The Double Red Duke adds to their many accolades – an inn that has already been crowned one of the top gastro-pubs in Britain.
The Double Red Duke, Bourton Rd, Clanfield, Bampton OX18 2RB 01367 810 222 www.countrycreatures.com/double-red-duke/
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