Horse & Groom

Malmsbury, Wiltshire

Merchant Inns managed house

The Horse & Groom is a picturesque Cotswold stone inn that Merchant Inns extensively refurbished just over a year ago. It has a cosy snug bar with an open fire, a stripped wooden-floor dining area with inglenook fireplaces and space for up to 60 covers, plus five letting bedrooms.

The 40:60 wet:dry split portrays it as a pub that takes food seriously.

Manager Mark Birchall says: "We offer hearty pub food with classic dishes like pan-fried liver, battered pollack, wild venison loin, and local sausages made to our own recipe."

He adds: "Our signature dish is probably pan-roasted guinea fowl on potato rosti with Savoy cabbage and bacon."

Birchall gives credit for "the sensational food" to head chef Justin Brown, who is supported by Merchant Inns' executive chef, the Michelin-starred Robert Clayton. This line-up has earned the 16th-century inn a listing in Michelin's Good Pub Guide and the Michelin Red Guide.

Birchall is equally generous in praising the rest of his small team of 12. "We've got a really warm group of people, who naturally like talking to customers. That's great and makes my life easier."

He arrived at the Wiltshire hostelry last December, giving up a career managing four and five-star hotels. "I'm enjoying the change; it's still a very hands-on job, but it's a far more relaxed atmosphere. Hopefully, some of my passion and experience is rubbing off on the staff."

The pub's food credentials draw customers from miles around, but the locals aren't ignored. "Every Friday evening, we have hot and cold nibbles on the bar and the chef uses it as an opportunity to trial new dishes. It's a great way to encourage locals to enjoy a night in the bar."

Currently, customers have a choice of two cask ales, Old Speckled Hen and Morland Original Bitter, but there are plans to add a third from a local microbrewery.

There are regular evening forums where locals get the chance to tell staff what they like or dislike about the way the pub is run and what they'd like to see added. "They've been a great success," adds Birchall.