Foreword
Paul Clerehugh Whether I’m travelling back from other parts of the UK or abroad, I always feel at home when I’m driving back into Oxfordshire. The stunning scenery is a patchwork of fields – rapeseed, poppy, corn and barley – and busy farms. Oxfordshire is South East England’s most rural county, with 75 per cent of the land dedicated to agriculture, and there has been an exciting growth in farm shops, field-to-fork projects and food-from-the-farm-gate schemes. Following the M40 towards the spires of Oxford, you can take a detour at Murcott for a Michelin star-accredited pint and ploughman’s at The Nut Tree. I’m an honorary Oxfordian, having spent the first half of my life in Northumberland. However, my heart, soul, family and cooking are firmly rooted in Oxfordshire. I feel incredibly lucky to own The Crooked Billet at Stoke Row. Here, we are surrounded by beautiful countryside and a large number of suppliers, farmers and producers, so I always try to use locally sourced ingredients where possible. The rich soil and changing seasons help create some great produce in Oxfordshire. I always use seasonal ingredients: wild garlic, young carrots, asparagus, honey, roe deer, cherries, runner beans, game birds, quince, and lamb, which is at its best in late summer. We offer a ‘swap for lunch’ scheme at The Crooked Billet, where you can bring your home-grown goodies and I’ll give you a credit note for lunch, so my diners get to experience freshly picked fruit and vegetables at peak ripeness and flavour. I adore Oxfordshire’s eclectic mix of eateries: the sublime Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, the bohemian and quirky cafés of Oxford, the county’s quintessential tearooms, and the region’s incredible wealth of foodie pubs. We boast the best in Britain. Restaurants wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the loyalty and appetite of their guests. Oxfordshire is blessed with diners who are enthusiastic and passionate about food. I hope you continue to support this region’s farmers, food producers, independent retailers and towns so you can truly enjoy what the county has to offer. Enjoy reading through this year’s Oxfordshire Food & Drink Guide, and discover the pubs and restaurants within.
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Oxfordshire Guide 2019-2020