Renovated Cotswolds pub in 17th century bakery is hidden gem

Having initially opened earlier this year, the watering hole has undergone recent renovations and is now very much a hidden gem out in the countryside.

Set in a 17th-century former bakery overlooking the village green, its red-brick frontage welcomes in weary travellers and locals alike.

It is now a full-scale dining operation with around 80 covers, a central bar, private dining spaces and nine bedrooms dotted between the main building and newly built cabins.

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Outside The Norman Knight pub. (Image: Newsquest)

Inside, some of the fabric of the old building remains with low ceilings, beams and a traditional bar, but the overall impression is of a polished, modern country inn.

For Oxford readers, it is a day trip out, being close enough for a leisurely drive but also distant enough that you feel you have escaped the ring road and the tourists.

On the food front, the team runs a monthly changing menu that leans into the seasons, with a concise list of British dishes and some European touches.

I visited over the weekend on what was a sweltering Saturday ahead of the much-anticipated England match.

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A pint of the Mallorca beer, Rosa Blanca. (Image: Newsquest)

I started with a mushroom parfait on sourdough toast, which was smooth and deeply savoury, making for a rich treat to open with.

The parfait itself had plenty of earthy flavour without being heavy, and the sourdough brought the right amount of chew and crunch.

Steak and fries for the main felt like a good test of how seriously a kitchen takes the basics, and The Norman Knight passed with flying colours.

The steak was cooked exactly as ordered, medium rare, and had been properly rested, and was crucially still juicy when sliced into.

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The mushroom parfait with sourdough toast. (Image: Newsquest)

Accompanying the meat, the fries were crisp, hot and, if I’m being honest, a real highlight of the afternoon.

It’s easy to overlook something as simple as chips, but these were golden in colour and quality.

Dessert kept up the standard as I opted for a chocolate tarte with honeycomb pieces and raspberry sorbet.

It may sound like a dish wish is in danger of veering into sugar overload, but the smaller portion made sure it was all in balance.

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The steak and fries. (Image: Newsquest)

The tarte was rich and glossy; the honeycomb brought a satisfying crunch and burnt-sugar edge.

Thankfully, the raspberry sorbet cut through it all with a sharpness that stopped the dish from becoming cloying, especially welcome on such a hot afternoon.

Drinks-wise, a couple of pints of Rosa Blanca, a Spanish lager from Mallorca, turned out to be an ideal choice for the weather.

Light, cold and clean-tasting, it had that easy-drinking quality that will be familiar to anyone who has tried Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone lager.

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The Norman Knight pub in the Cotswolds. (Image: Newsquest)

For those who like the Cotswolds-brewed beer but fancy something with a slightly more Mediterranean accent, Rosa Blanca is a very close cousin.

Service over the course of the meal was attentive and friendly, with our waitress on hand to help with any queries or requests.

The pub’s position, right by the village green, only adds to the appeal once you step outside after lunch.

There are certainly closer country pubs to the city, and The Norman Knight will ask a bit more of you in terms of petrol and planning than a quick dash more locally.

But with excellent food, lovely staff, and stunning surroundings, it more than earns its status as a destination pub worth the trip.