We could give you 100 other reasons to spend time at The Royal Oak, but here are just 18:

1.      We (the staff) can speak in whole sentences and most of us can spell properly

2.      We pretend this pub is our front room and you are our guests

3.      We can take you to see the Eastbrook farm pigs if you like--or point you in the right direction

4.      We can sell you some glorious fresh organic pork or veal to take home, if you order it

5.      You can use our free land rover collect and take home service, at our discretion

6.      We are loved by Good Food Guide...and Good Pub Guide..and Michelin pub guide

7.      ...and New York Times

8.      ...and Chris Evans says Helen is 'the perfect woman'...

9.      Our farm, Eastbrook Farm, won the 2010 National Award for animal welfare

10. You can buy our sausages and bacon in Tesco, Sainsbury and Budgens

11. Jasper can show you how to make bacon--properly

12. The beds are comfortable. The showers work, the rooms are cheap and warm

13. A lot of the fruit and veg is grown by our village customers; or the kitchen forages for local berries, watercress

14. Our eggs mostly come from our own ex-battery hens--although the fox took about 15 two weeks ago, very sad

15. Warm winter drinks, light heady summer ones--glorious garden, or a sofa by the fire. Your choice

16. Use this pub as a walking base. A simple one hour circular walk from here taking in Eastbrook Farm, a beautiful steep valley and The Ridgeway. End with lunch. We provide a map

17. Actually, really good real ales, from Arkells. Occasionally from Donningtons. Always good wines, and whiskies. Interesting soft drinks. Not the mass produced crap, on the whole

18. We love vegetarians

 

Customer comments: 

 

"The food was fabulous, the service informal and very attentive and the garden and surroundings a delight"

"Nothing was too much trouble, which is excellent, especially when there are 6 fussy women to cater for!"

"Thank you for our lovely day out on the Farm tour. It was marvellous to see happy pigs romping about in natural surroundings and cows so lovingly cared for.

We had a wonderful lunch in a very convivial setting and then lazed about in the pub garden all afternoon listening to live music. The weather was lovely and the setting is beautiful. We had one of those perfect summer days that remain in the memory and the seductive magic of Eastbrook and Bishopstone bid us linger.

Farming, and especially organic farming, will never make anyone rich. Eastbrook Farm is clearly about so much more than making money. The passion and commitment of everyone involved is very apparent. It is uplifting to know that there are people dedicating their lives to producing great food in a humane and sustainable way. Helen is of course an inspirational and pioneering figurehead in the organic movement. The rest of us are fortunate indeed that you hae dedicated your life to this cause."

 

 

I just wanted to send a quick email of thanks to everyone at the Royal Oak for the delightful stay my mother and I had there ten days ago.  Back in New York now and dreaming of running away to join you...

The beds were comfy and the food and wine were simply fantastic.  We had to walk a few extra miles along the Ridgeway to make up for that.