The Olive Branch – Clipsham, Rutland
On the edge of a neat stone village, this charmingly rustic pub was created from three farm labourers’ cottages that were bought and revived in 1999 by friends and colleagues from Hambleton Hall. They have been remarkably successful, winning many accolades, and Sean Hope and Ben Jones continue to run their oasis of good food and good living with aplomb, the homely mix of antique and pine furniture, open fires, logs piled high, books, blackboards and wine bottles lending a laid-back vibe. As well as terrific versions of pub classics, there are plenty of innovative dishes on Sean’s menus, and the food is wholesome and delicious. In winter, eat lunch by the fire; in summer, order an imaginatively stocked picnic basket and take it to Rutland Water. Opposite the pub, in the pretty Georgian Beech House, are six bedrooms, all different but equally captivating. Breakfast is served in an attractively decorated barn next door. Doubles from £115.
tip
Name to Know: Chris, one of the chefs, who hosts kitchen masterclasses and gives tours of the kitchen paddock.
See: Discover Rutland’s beautiful rolling countryside, market towns and magnificent lake.
Eat: From the pub’s daily changing menus featuring produce from local farms and their own paddock.
Buy: Any of the amazing produce in their pub shop; own brand toiletries to pub made jams, pickles and local breads.
Want to find out more? Visit the hotel's website.
Back to all Great British Hotels
