ReviewBit of a detour for me to get to this one but worth the effort for a couple of reasons.
Firstly because this is another example where a pub has been kept going for the local community by being purchased by the local community. Faced with losing their local when it closed early in 2012 a group of Ellesborough and Butler’s Cross residents bought the pub for their community. So only happy to support causes like this.
Secondly, although clearly being now a modern décor food led pub, the drinks focus is on well-kept beers from local breweries.
It is a former coaching house circa 1760 that was then turned into servant's quarters for those working at the nearby Chequers, a connection that is kept going by a series of photographs of former Prime Ministers in the pub’s entrance hall. Externally it’s a charming building, but internally anything resembling a traditional pub interior has long since disappeared under modern makeovers and Dulux paint. You enter to the bar room that still has an open brick fireplace (unfortunately for me now covered in Dulux white) housing a wood burning stove , stone flagged floors and a wood panel fronted bar. Then to the right is a large dining room that you have to book for (and pay 12.5% service charge automatically added to the bill, so tell me this isn’t a restaurant primarily) and beyond is a split level garden with a patio section and larger grass section beyond.
For me the décor is all too clean and sterile for a village pub and more modern wine bar, but who cares about my opinion, it’s their pub and if the locals like it that’s all that counts.
One thing I have no disagreement on is that the pub puts its new found Free House status to very good use in that the four Ale hand pumps on the bar all dispense well-kept local brewery beers. For my visit Chiltern Beechwood and Chiltern Ale, Malt Brewery Bitter and XT 8 were available and the two I tried were top notch.
There is a very decent but fairly expensive looking food menu that wouldn’t be out of place in an upmarket restaurant, but cannot pass comment on that (best to look on Trip Advisor), as I was only here for the ale.
So, not the type of place I would come with the lads for a beery session, but would consider to bring the wife for some posh evening nosh, as long as I can make her drive, knowing what’s likely to be on the pumps.
