LOTI EATS | THE LAMB INN

The Lamb Inn, in the village of Shipton-Under-Wychwood in the Cotswolds, is the third project from Peter Creed and Tom Noest. The pair are also behind The Bell Inn, Langford as well as The Little Bell at Soho Farmhouse, which is definitely our favourite of the options at Farmhouse. They are soon to open a new place too, The Fox Inn, Broadwell on 17th March. 

The Lamb Inn opened in June 2021 after the pair bought and refurbished the historic old pub. It retains the atmosphere of a classic country pub, and the place was packed with locals when we were there, but it’s also been given a bit of a modern makeover. The walls have been given a splash of green in places, contrasting with the old wooden furniture and rafted ceilings; and there’s nice artworks and photography dotted around, as well as taxidermy, and old bottles scattered in the window ledges. In short, just enough stylish touches to let you know this isn’t your average boozer, but not taken so far that it doesn’t feel like a pub anymore. 

The seasonal menus are based on produce from the local butcher, fishmonger, game dealers and farmers. It’s an elevated pub menu, treading carefully between offering the core classics, such as a double cheeseburger and fish & chips, and the more interesting flourishes that lift it above standard pub grub.

There’s a wood-fired oven knocking out pizzas and many of the other dishes on the menu, such as our first snack of the night, a salted anchovy and chive flat bread. Beautiful, soft dough with a bit of bite, and topped with salty anchovies, butter and chives – simple and delicious. Wood-fired sardines sat atop winter tomatoes and gremolata came next, along with whipped cod’s roe, baby leeks, potatoes, and a Cacklebean Farm egg. We are big fans of whipped cod’s roe and this again was a simple, well executed beauty of a dish. 

It was so nearly the venison bourguignon pie for two for our main, but in the interest of trying more of the menu we instead went for the rich, meaty venison faggot with carrot and swede mash, and the lovely wood-fired hake with shellfish sauce and spinach – and had no regrets in doing so. We finished off with an excellent sticky toffee pudding, but if we’d been in a bigger group we definitely would have got the whole tarte tatin, which looked amazing. 

There’s plenty of nice pubs in the Cotswolds, but there are a few that take things up a notch, and you can definitely count The Lamb in that. Well worth stopping in for your next weekend away. 

High St, Shipton Under Wychwood, OX7 6DQ
thelambshipton.com

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