Work is well on the way for the summer opening of The Living Room Cinema in Chipping Norton, a community-focused boutique cinema.

With 2-screens, the film programme will be diverse, showcasing a range of popular and award-winning new releases, independent titles, family films, and under their ‘Living Room Presents’ banner, documentaries, foreign language and arthouse gems. 

Summer blockbusters that our audience can look forward to will include “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” which will receive its premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival next month; “Oppenheimer”, the latest mind bending thriller from Christopher Nolan; Tom Cruise in more death-defying stunts in “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” plus a visit to Wes Anderson’s mind in “Asteroid City” and the hotly anticipated “Barbie”, directed by Greta Gerwig and featuring an extensive all-star cast.

Newly appointed General Manager Lindsey Bowden (previously of Roundhouse, Riverside Studios and Assembly) says: “I am hugely excited to be part of this wonderful new venue for Chipping Norton which will bring such a great variety of new releases, classics and screened live performances for the community. I'm looking forward to meeting locals in our lovely cafe bar and can't wait to open our doors!”

​The Living Room cinema will be accessible and inclusive with subtitled, audio described, autism friendly and parent and baby screenings. 

Their Live Events series will give you the opportunity to have the best seats in the house for music concerts ranging from the legendary Andre Rieu to the visual spectacle of Coldplay, opera and ballet from the Royal Opera House and beyond, theatre from the National Theatre and the Exhibition on Screen series.

One of the highlights of the upcoming programme will be our special events and “In Conversation With” series. Special guests at our sister Liphook site have included Downton Abbey stars Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern; directors Simon Curtis (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and BAFTA-nominated Jim Archer (Brian and Charles); writer Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) and director of the NT’s ‘Good’, Dominic Cooke.

Founder and CEO, Claire Beswick says: 

“As we enter the final phase of our work - the interior fit out of the cinema - I’m delighted we are now able to share some of the finer details of our offer. It is a privilege to be creating such a unique cinema experience for the community of Chipping Norton and we cannot wait to open our doors and to welcome each and every one of you.”

The cinema will be open all day and the stylish foyer will provide a versatile social space with a laid-back, modern vibe. Everyone will be welcome to visit us for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea or join us in the evening when the cafe will transform into a vibrant, stylish cocktail and wine bar. Our friendly staff will know your name and your usual tipple, your favourite seat, and your favourite film.

The Living Room Cinema Chipping Norton will be open to all and will have a range of concession priced tickets available, in addition to both standard and premium seating. We have a membership scheme for regular patrons with a range of membership options for all tastes: from Standard Membership to our limited-edition VIP Founder Memberships, with benefits include unlimited cinema for the member and a guest, complimentary drinks, a private screening, and an invite to the launch party.

On Monday 27th March,  the prestigious Michelin Stars were unveiled at a Ceremony for the Michelin Great Britain & Ireland Guide

There are four here in the Cotswolds, including one new addition to the guide for 2023.
​

What Michelin says:

One of the last true country house hotels, this fine 14C manor house sits within 365 acres of formal gardens and parkland in a picture-postcard village. A sweeping drive leads up to the main building and the immensely charming interior features characterful oak panelling and a host of cosy open-fired lounges.

Dining here is a very formal experience: drinks and snacks are served in the bar, before a set dinner in the cavernous dining room with its large feature wall, flower arrangements, leather chairs and immaculately laid solid oak tables.

Sustainable home-grown and local produce plays a pivotal role in the cooking, which results in a flavoursome blend of simple and more luxurious ingredients. Dishes are precisely prepared and arrive in refined, tried-and-tested combinations with modern overtones.

Luxurious bedrooms are split between the house and mews cottages.

guide.michelin.com/gb/en/wiltshire/castle-combe/restaurant/bybrook
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What Michelin says:

For over 30 years, David and Helen Everitt-Matthias' brightly decorated restaurant has provided a ‘special occasion’ spot in the historic spa town of Cheltenham. The couple make a great team: Helen is in charge of the décor and keenly oversees the service, while David can be found behind the stoves day-in-day-out.
 
David enthusiastically seeks out the best of British ingredients to showcase in classically based French dishes which employ modern techniques and exhibit some original elements. There is a lightness of touch to many, like fillet of Cornish mackerel with kohlrabi and avocado, while others display bold, robust flavours, such as Brecon venison with parsnip purée and bitter chocolate. The seasons mean everything here and he isn’t afraid to use some lesser-known ingredients. Desserts are a highlight and the set priced menu is great value.

guide.michelin.com/gb/en/gloucestershire/cheltenham/restaurant/le-champignon-sauvage

What Michelin says:

In the centre of this charming spa town you’ll find an unassuming exterior concealing an elegant and stylish restaurant.

Helen runs the service and she’s a natural host, so you’ll be warmly welcomed and well looked after. Her experienced husband Jon runs things in the kitchen and his cooking is underpinned by a strong classical base, with some fine details running through his dishes. Flavours are well-judged and harmonious and his sauces are especially memorable. Many of the vegetables, herbs and edible flowers come from their own 15-acre smallholding.

guide.michelin.com/gb/en/gloucestershire/cheltenham/restaurant/lumiere

What Michelin says:

The Royal Oak started out as a drinks shelter catering for the workmen building the local church and is reputedly one of the oldest pubs in the country; Oliver Cromwell supposedly stayed here before the Battle of Edgehill in 1642. It’s a characterful place, with a lovely atmosphere, from the cosy bar to the bright, airy dining room.

Chef-owner Richard Craven has a passion for British produce and his cooking follows a strong farm-to-fork ethos, with produce coming from small producers in and around the nearby hills and estates; he favours organic and wild ingredients and game is often shot to order.

Assured, understated dishes are created with obvious care and a delicate touch – most have just 3-4 components, which allows each first-class ingredient to really shine. Richard’s charming wife Solanche looks after the service – and she clearly knows her wines.

guide.michelin.com/gb/en/warwickshire/whatcote/restaurant/the-royal-oak

What Michelin says:

Twelve acres of formal grounds surround this charming Cotswold stone house, which dates back to 1802 and offers lovely views out over the countryside.

Head Chef Ricki Weston oversees both the elegant brasserie and the intimate dining room; for a special occasion book the latter, with its neutral décor and serene, romantic feel.

The evening starts with snacks in the kitchen, before moving on to the 7 course set menu, which includes vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian versions. Don’t be misled; the terse, understated descriptions belie the detail and creativity that goes into the modern, artfully presented dishes, which come with some intriguing contrasts of texture and flavour. The wine list features both vegan and biodynamic options, as well as plenty of mature wines.
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Stay overnight in one of the luxurious modern bedrooms.

guide.michelin.com/gb/en/wiltshire/malmesbury/restaurant/the-dining-room193454

​​All copy via Michelin Guide.

You can find a full list of every One, Two and Three Star restaurant in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023 here - guide.michelin.com/gb/en/article/michelin-star-revelation/the-full-list-of-michelin-stars-in-the-michelin-guide-great-britain-ireland-2023

Cheltenham restaurant Lumiere has been awarded its first Michelin Star.

Lead by husband and wife team Jon and Helen, Lumiere offers stunning ingredient-led tasting menus and a innovative, fine dining experience in the heart of town.

Since opening in January 2009, Lumiere has received numerous local and national awards including AA Restaurant of the Year for England, 3AA Rosettes and is regularly listed amongst the Top 20 Restaurants in the UK by Hardens.

lumiererestaurant.co.uk

There seems to be a new restaurant opening in Cheltenham every week at the moment. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but in all honestly, I can't keep up. 

"Have you been to Journey yet?" No. "What about Cantina del Barrio?" No. "LA Smoke Hut?" No... but tell me more.

The newest addition (it might not be now. it has been 5 days after all) to the town is The Nook on Five, Cheltenham's first-ever rooftop restaurant. 

The "on Five" bit represents the floor number it is on in the Quadrangle, a 1970s once tired-looking, now completely rejuvenated, building located on the corner of Imperial Square and Promenade and overlooking the beautiful Imperial Gardens. 

What they have done here is super impressive. I'm no George Clarke, but the building was pretty grim and a bit of an eyesore. I love David Bowie and a prawn cocktail as much as the next person, but the 70s have a lot to answer for.

I digress. 

The restaurant is fresh and modern with a whiff of newness. It's a beautiful sunny day so we get a luminous view across the Cheltenham skyline. It has all the feels of Kensington until you see the Eagle Tower in the distance. We can't even blame the 70s for that. 

I was surprised to discover that this was a family-run restaurant (I just presumed it was either part of a chain or under the ownership of some big investor) and then, later, amazed to hear that it was Alisha Philpotts', head chef and cousin of the owners, first ever restaurant. 

I go all out, choosing scallops, celeriac puree, peas and chicken skin granola to start, followed by the fillet steak, café de Paris butter, caramelised shallot, wild mushrooms and vine tomatoes from the grill menu. I was torn between that and the beef shin and treacle pie. 

The scallops were perfectly juicy and the puree and added crunch of the granola worked superbly well together and the steak was genuinely the best piece of meat I have eaten this year. 

The cooking was sublime. It's fine-dining, but not the type where you get a squiggle of jus in each corner of the plate. It's also pretty punchy pricewise. My main was £38 without a side that are all priced at £6 and big enough to share. 

We all know that we are paying for the whole experience (which was very special), the spectacular location (it's lovely up there), the service (which is outstanding), the sommelier (they offer some local gems from Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Wiltshire vineyards) and the most incredible pastry chef (the blueberry custard, white chocolate mousse, puff pastry pudding look liked a work of art), but ultimately they will be judged on the food it was truly superb.

It's not somewhere you will come to eat every week that's for sure, but if they can avoid any serious teething problems and keep the quality this high every time, they could very quickly become one of the best restaurants in town.

thenookcheltenham.co.uk

Actual restaurants in the North Cotswolds are few and far between. There are lots of superb pubs that are more of a restaurant than a pub nowadays and many hotels that boast restaurants but lack that buzz that an independent can offer. 

The Old Butchers is family-run, small and far from pretentious. Pete is chef, while wife Louise takes care of the front of house, armed with her daughter and others of a similar age. The tables are always full, yet there's never a feeling of sitting on top of other diners or being involved in their conversations. 

We took a couple of friends for their first ever visit. We'd hyped it up quite a bit for a good fortnight or so which can sometimes be risky, but we've never experienced anything less than brilliant on the (probably a dozen by now) occasions we have been there.

The menu is largely European, full of seafood, steak over charcoal and seasonal game. There's a "Lobster"  swing sign outside and lots of it on the menu.

A bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (the wine list is very good) and a couple of pints of Hawkstone (Clarkson's Lager) arrive as we survey the menu. Our friends are the type of people who study the menu before they arrive and pretty much know want they are going to order. I'm the opposite. 

"Fancy sharing the 1kg T-Bone?" throwing a slight curveball to my friend. He agrees, but then proceeds to tell me that he is a medium steak eater. I'm a rare. We agree on medium-rare. 

If Mussels Mariniere is on the menu I'm probably ordering it, along with a spoon for the glorious creamy, garlicky goodness. It was a generous serving for a starter and these were absolutely massive.

The others tucked into Cornish Scallops, served in a shell in a delicious pool of Nduja Butter which offered a bit of a kick.

The Prawn Cocktail, which usually comes with a Bloody Mary sorbet on top. However our friend asked if this could come on the side as she "didn't really trust it". She loved it.

​And the Pate en Croute, pickled walnut, cornichons and punchy wasabi, mustardy dip.

Our mains arrived soon after.

They had divided the T-bone onto separate plates so we didn't have to fight over it. It was on the rarer side of medium-rare, beautifully pink with juicy bits of fat on some of the slices. It came with fries, salad and a choice of sauces, we both opted for peppercorn. The meat cut like the proverbial butter and was deliciously rich and salty. It was magical. I would order steak out more often if it was all like this.

The Cornish Monkfish & Prawn Tandoori, with Spinach, a Lentil Dahl and raita looked incredible and apparently it was. As was the 1/2 Cornish Native Lobster & Garlic Butter and the immense Crab, Truffle Fries that were ordered to accompany it. 

Pudding was replaced by more wine, while we all gushed over what we had just eaten and started planning our next visit which, I imagine, won't be too far away.

​theoldbutchers.squarespace.com

Pictures of some of the stunning cuisine that you can expect to see at YOKU have appeared on social media.

YOKU is a brand-new Tokyo-vogue Japanese Sushi and Asian dining experience with resplendent Bar Tokyo cocktail bar, opening inside No.131 in Cheltenham.

The restaurant will open its doors on Friday 11th March 2022.

www.no131.com/yoku

Evesham always gets a bad rap, some fair and some a little unjust. For many, it's the Onslow and Daisy to the Hyacinth Bucket over-manicured Cotswolds, and unless you live there or you were visiting The Regal Cinema, there is no real reason to visit.

The town centre is littered with charity shops, an abundance of hairdressers and double denim from the first time around. It's in desperate need of a little TLC. However, in the Market Place where Bridge Street meets Vine Street there is a beacon of hope.

What began in a converted Rice Beaufort horse box during lockdown is now a super-stylish restaurant, serving awesome burgers and cocktails over two floors of an old pub. There is a huge emphasis on the locally sourced ingredients used both in the kitchen and behind the bar and a decent selection for the vegans and vegetarians that live amongst us. They also offer a delivery service on Thursday - Sunday on their food and drink to Evesham and the surrounding areas.

We had an hour and a half before Bond was due to start at The Regal, so we were just going to grab a quick burger and drink and get on our merry way. Obviously, after looking at the menu, this didn't happen. 

"You must try the Crispy Belly Bites". Of course we did.

"The Baby Bacon Fries are particularly good". Go on then, you've twisted my arm.

Eventually our table was covered in burgers and sides.

The Snack Daniels burger was as good as it sounded. Salt beef slices, cola and bourbon-braised brisket and Tubby Tom's Smokey Schweet BBQ sauce all fighting their way out of the bun. It was delightfully messy, smokey and sticky, and honestly the best thing I had eaten for a long time.

​The recommended pork belly bites were heavenly meaty cubes, with a crispy glaze and a subtle kick from the ginger and chilli that accompanied them during the roasting.

The "Bacon Baby" fries are pleasantly thicker than the normal skinny ones you often get and smothered in baconnaise and bacon bits, each one as addictive as the last. 

Even when you know you have ordered too much, I can never ignore mac 'n' cheese on a menu. These were topped with bacon bits, chives and crispy onions and, if anything, could have been much gooier with a lot more cheese.

The same has to be said for halloumi fries, you know you don't need them but you have to order them especially when they are rubbed in Tubby Tom's espresso and smoked chipotle dust and washed down with a dark 'n' stormy.

It was all incredibly impressive from start to finish, and in fear of sounding too overdramatic, the arrival of StirrUps is absolutely massive for the town. Evesham has finally got somewhere it can be proud of and it shows other business folk that nice places can be successful there.

www.stirr-ups.co.uk

A new deli and coffee shop has opened in Bibury.

The Twig has opened within the old village store, which has been empty and unused for years, bringing a new destination spot to the village centre. 

The Twig is an offshoot of The Stump, hence the name, a renowned Cotswold Inn serving up an epic menu of pizza, small plates and cocktails since opening in 2019. Both sites have been dreamt up and brought to life by Baz & Fred, who first started serving pizzas together in 2012 and have since opened two pizza restaurants in London as well as local favourites The Stump and The New Inn in the Cotswolds. Their latest opening will put the same emphasis on serving high quality, carefully sourced ingredients and delicious food and drink but this time with a focus on coffee, snacks, and special ingredients.

The house coffee at The Twig will be from Oxfordshire based UE Coffee and best enjoyed alongside one of the fresh house pastries, including specials such as The Twig sausage roll, made with whole grain mustard and apple sauce inside, sourdough toasties, amazing cakes and focaccia sandwiches made in house with best Italian ingredients.

The menu will also include a delicious menu of sandwiches including:

Sourdough toasties:

Ham, Emmental, Double Gloucester, Dijonnaise, cornichons

Truffle mushrooms, Comte, Double Gloucester, Dijonnaise

Focaccia:

Prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil pesto

Sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, rocket, basil pesto

Salad pots: change on a weekly basis, focusing on seasonal produce

The shop will also be a go-to spot to pick up local produce from companies such as Cotswold Curer, Sourdough Revolution and Hard to Find (honey and oil). Alongside this there will be a delicious range of Spanish and Italian dry goods including cured meats, a select range of natural wines and local Deya beers, and Baz & Fred’s Chilli oil, all ready to buy and enjoy at home.

It felt like we had to wait an age for the Double Red Duke to finally open its doors. After the announcement in November 2020 that Sam and Georgie Pearman had acquired what was The Plough at Clanfield and would launch in February 2021, lockdowns and various restrictions delayed that until May 17th. 

Even more exiting was hearing that they had secured the services of Hawksmoor and PittCue's Richard Turner to work alongside Head Chef Richard Sandiford. This could only mean two things, fire and an abundance of meat.

Of course the menu isn't just full of meat. There is a cheese & onion tatin, veggie mixed grill and a trio of salads for the herbivores amongst us, but there's no fun in any of that, 

Unsurprisingly, and right up our street, there is a separate menu for steak cuts from where we picked a incredible chunk of medium-rare ribeye. I sat and watched the chefs cooking various ribs and T-bones over the flames from the 14-seater kitchen counter which felt like the front row of the world's best theatre. I always find open kitchens captivating and could sit there all day, especially watching these masters of meat at work. 

Away from beef steaks, the "Large Plate" menu boasts wild fish on-the-bone, grilled rose veal chop, fried oysters & egg tartare, spit roast turbot (which looked amazing when it went by to another table) and half a chicken spit roast, as well as the classic fish & chips, pie & mash and the Double Red burger. 

​The "small plates" menu (nobody does "starters" anymore) is equally exciting and includes some exquisite Wood Roast Sea Scallops with Wild Garlic Butter, Milk & Honey Lamb Chops with Pea & Haggis Salad (I will try this when I go next) and some superb sticky and perfectly charred Apple Glazed Bacon Ribs, Apple, Tamarind & Fennel Slaw. 

If you're feeling hungry, which we were, there's also a "snacks" menu at the very beginning featuring some wonderful light and crispy Dublin Bay Scampi and three different flatbreads. We chose the Courgette, Wild Garlic & Mint one to share but you would probably need one each depending on how many other dishes you choose and how big your appetite is.

There wasn't any room for a dessert. If I was staying the night, and home was just a short walk away up the stairs, I would have probably dipped for the white chocolate cheesecake or the sticky toffee pudding. However, if the choice is more meat or leaving room for a pudding, there is only ever going to be one winner.

If staying the night is an option for you, then the nineteen bedrooms are all as heavenly as you would expect. They each, like the whole of the interior, carry the Pearman stamp. There is an abundance of snugs where you can hide away from the world for an afternoon, and  the magnificent Downton Abbey-famed Oxfordshire countryside is quite literally on the doorstep. What's not to like?

www.countrycreatures.com/double-red-duke