The Wild Rabbit crowned Michelin Pub of the Year

The Cotswold pub, owned by Lady Bamford, recently underwent extensive refurbishment, giving it a contemporary rural inn feel with flagged floors, log fires, leather sofas and a lot of wood and stone.

“We’re all absolutely thrilled, it’s amazing, very unexpected and we’re all very excited,” general manager Graham Williams told BigHospitality.

“Obviously you need to have good food and good service, and we have bedrooms too that have been very well received.

“I’m sure that lots of people will want to come and visit The Wild Rabbit after having seen the Michelin Guide, so I suspect we will be even busier than we are at present.”

Menu​

The bar menu offers light bites such as goujons of sole, potted rabbit or crisp pig’s head croquettes, while the main menu includes hare ravioli, a Gloucester Old Spot for two, and Josper-grilled steak.

Desserts range from chocolate mousse to rice pudding with prunes soaked in Armagnac.

First-rate​

Rebecca Burr, editor of the Michelin Eating Out in Pubs Guide, said: “This Cotswold pub is a chocolate box delight: stylish yet rustic, spacious yet cosy, it offers a convivial welcome, knock-out bedrooms and, of course, first-rate food.

“The Daylesford [Lady Bamford’s organic farm] ethos champions the self-sufficient, the sustainable and the organic, and it is this influence which is at the heart of the pub – and indeed at the core of the menu. The capable kitchen works with the best organic ingredients to produce seasonal cooking which is British at heart and full of flavour.

“Like the pub itself, no expense has been spared when it comes to the bedrooms. They are beautifully appointed, with rugged wood flooring, stone walls, exposed beams and extras like cotton robes and homemade biscuits. Most are in the main house but there are also four garden rooms, ideal for those who’ve brought along their four-legged friends.”