In January 2016 Jack Greenall became The Pheasant’s new landlord. Jack’s family has a passion for brewing, inn-keeping and hotel management that dates back to the 1750s and, having trained with the fastest-growing country pub group in the south of England, he’s thrilled to be launching a new chapter for this well-loved local landmark.
Bordering the village of Shefford Woodlands and overlooking Berkshire’s famed Valley of the Racehorse, The Pheasant has a hospitality pedigree that stretches back 450 years, to when it first sheltered drovers herding livestock from Wales to London. Today, the newly refurbished pub and its 11 en-suite guest rooms offer an adventurous drinks menu, flavoursome modern British cooking and luxurious accommodation with outstanding value and a warm, relaxed welcome.
A sensitive refurbishment has brought the bar and restaurant a new, relaxed elegance with rich colours, comfortable furnishings and atmospheric lighting. And whether you pull up a vintage leather bar stool, hunker down in their cosy snug with its quirky print gallery and bespoke selection of local and general interest books or join friends at a table in the main dining space, it’s a great place to sample their broad and imaginative drinks range and regularly changing menu, which showcases the freshest and best local produce and unfussy, flavoursome cooking.
The guest bedrooms have all the relaxed, home-from home comfort you’d expect from a country pub, with the minute attention to detail of a smart hotel and a fresh, modern design approach. Completely refurbished by London-based interior designer Flora Soames, each of the 11 en-suite rooms has a completely unique look based on a bespoke combination of rich colours, striking patterns and luxurious textures that balances quirky eclecticism with clean contemporary lines. Elegant fluted armchairs, buttoned ottomans and individually hand-picked artworks are among the characterful features, while bathrooms, two of which have bathtubs as well as high-quality powerful showers, are stocked with indulgent handmade toiletries by Bramley, a boutique botanicals brand from nearby Tisbury.
Set among the scenic rolling fields of Berkshire’s chalk downlands, just minutes from Britain’s jumps racing capital Lambourn and the antiques Mecca of Hungerford, the independent pub, halfway between Wales and London and just off the M4, is ideally placed for exploring an area packed with attractions and activities. The stunning market town of Marlborough lies just 13 miles to the west, Highclere Castle, location for TV’s Downton Abbey, can be reached in 20 minutes, and they’re on the edge of the North Wessex Downs, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty and a wonderland for walkers.
The Pheasant sources their wines from Berry Bros. & Rudd, Bibendum and other specialist suppliers. They have 10 vodkas, 30 whiskies, nine beers including their very own Pheasant Ale and award-winning mixers by Fever-Tree.
Their approach to food is all about bringing together the best ingredients, simply and deliciously. Rooted in classic modern British cooking, the regularly changing menu showcases the freshest meat and fish and finest artisan products from around the country. Sausages and wild meat from the near neighbours Vicars Game, the remarkable charcuterie of Gloucestershire’s Kelmscott Country Pork and cheeses from Blur’s bassist turned gentleman farmer Alex James are among the products that take starring roles in the unfussy, full-flavoured dishes. So too do the exceptional wares of Cornwall’s Flying Fish Seafoods, suppliers to many of the south’s best Michelin-starred restaurants, and which spur young head chef Andy Watts to take to new heights his particular passion for cooking fish.
‘It has been exciting to discover the amazing local suppliers in this area,’ says Andy, whose 16 years of kitchen experience has included roles at prestigious restaurants including Derbyshire’s The Bay Tree and The Duncombe Arms. ‘Their fantastic ingredients and products have made it a joy to create new menus for The Pheasant, as well as helping me prepare indulgent daily specials such as St Austell Bay mussels in a garlic and white wine cream sauce, venison Wellington and pan-friend halibut with foraged sea vegetables and saffron potatoes’.
Overlooking Lambourn Valley, aka the Valley of the Racehorse, The Pheasant is steeped in racing history. More than 1500 horses – including the Queen’s – are currently trained in the area, at more than 50 racing yards, and lying just a short gallop from both the town of Lambourn, Britain’s jumps racing capital, and Newbury, true home of British flat racing, the pub has welcomed many of the sport’s greatest talents over the years. You can see several Lambourn luminaries celebrated in the gallery of black and white photographs on the wall of the inn’s bar. A keen point-to-pointer himself, landlord Jack grew up immersed in racing – his father, uncle and two cousins are all amateur jockeys.