Tim Hughes enjoys first-class British cooking with a twist at The Churchill Arms in the pretty Cotswold village of Paxford

Tucked away up a narrow lane, hidden among the folds of the Cotswolds Hills, Paxford is one of those villages which seems lost in time. Getting there is an adventure – up and over a hill between Moreton in Marsh and Chipping Camden – and the village is a delight: a tangle of honey stone cottages facing a meadow within sits an isolated little chapel, backed by miles of empty countryside.

Being off the tourist trail, Paxford may have been allowed to slumber forever. But lovers of the good life are flocking to this rural gem for one thing – its village pub.

At first glance The Churchill Arms is a typical village boozer – rough limestone walls, a slate-roofed porch and ivy growing up the side. Inside there’s a broad wooden bar, huge fireplace and the obligatory set of mounted antlers.

But from this remote Cotswold outpost, head chef and owner Nick Deverell-Smith, has created a magnet for lovers of good food – his clever twists on British classics bringing in admirers – many taking the opportunity to linger and stay over in the stylish boutique rooms upstairs.

We arrived on a Thursday and first built up an appetite with a roam across the fields, the silence disturbed only by the bleating of those preposterously shaggy Cotswold sheep.

After a drink at the bar with a couple of locals, we took a seat around a large oak table in the corner, near a portrait of Winston, the national hero after whose family the place is named – the kids fashioning napkins into thick cigars and perfecting their ‘We Shall Fight on the Beaches’ speech (nice to know they teach them something useful at school, I suppose).

Resisting the urge to fill up on a board of homemade bread, we settled on our choices from a list of starters so imaginative, food envy was going to be inevitable.

I settling on seared scallops, confit bacon and creamed sweet corn (£10.50) – among the most delicious plate of food I have enjoyed all year. The scallops tender and juicy, their sweetness complemented by the slight saltiness of the tender bacon pieces, on which they were perched, and the creamy corn beneath. It was impossible to fault.

The others went for a smoked duck breast, served with heritage beetroot and candied walnuts (£8.25). This was also very fine, though more robust and hearty – the duck bursting with flavour and plenty of bite, the dense, fragrant meat tempered by those lovely pieces of nut.

I had already decided on my main course well in advance – within a few minutes of arriving, in fact, after spotting the menu. What more appropriate, or patriotic, dish to dig into in The Churchill Arms than beef Wellington? A sharing platter for two, I convinced the more adventurous of the boys to go halves.

It was carried to the table with ceremony – an embodiment of the best of British cooking – a flaky crust, encasing a hunk of rare beef coated in a rich dark pâté.

The pastry was perfection – practically falling from the beef, which was tender and juicy, with no chewiness. It came with a choice of two sides – local greens and chips in our case – for £55, which while not especially cheap, was certainly worthy of its price tag (it was for two, of course). I still dream of it on lonely nights...

The others went variously for Cornish cod in a shrimp butter sauce, (£19.50) which was extremely fresh – the fish flaking appealingly on the fork, and a Todenham Estate sirloin steak with chips (£26). The latter was reported to be the best steak ever eaten. It was also huge, and as tender as the beef.

After all that, pudding was perhaps unnecessary, but in the interests of research we selflessly tried a couple to share. A vanilla cheesecake and blueberries (£6.25) was extraordinarily good but the best came in the shape of Churchill’s chocolate pudding and glazed bananas (£10.50) – a symphony of fruit and sponge – the rich choc topped with the sweetness of the lightly caramelised banana.

It was divine, and we were glad to have been staying over. And as we were, we raised our glasses and toasted the talents of chef Nick – and the great elder statesman, and bon vivant, whose picture hung beside us – and who, I am sure, would certainly have approved.

  • The Churchill Arms, Paxford, near Moreton in Marsh
  • 01386 593159
  • churchillarms.co
  • Great British Menu

Great British Menu

Head chef Nick Deverell-Smith is currently taking part in BBC 2’s Great British Menu, and to celebrate he is serving the very same menu he cooks on the TV show – themed on the All England Championships at Wimbledon.

Available for £60 per person, Nick taking pride in using locally sourced ingredients for each of the four courses – each with a flavour of the English summertime.