Dinner at the Farmer's Dog: Celebrating 9 Years Together
This year, Tom and I have been together for a whole 9 years, which we thought deserved celebrating. We actually booked the reservation back in August, which is how long the waiting list has been.
In fact, we had given up hope that we could actually book in, but we must have done it at the right time because we got in straight away and booked out table for two. It's about an hour and a half away from us.
So, while it's not down the road, it's not miles and miles away either. Despite this, we thought it was totally worth the trip to celebrate almost a decade of us! If you don't know much about The Farmer's Dog, then let me give you some background.
The Farmer's Dog: Why is it so popular?
The Farmer's Dog came about during the TV show, Clarkson's Farm. Essentially, Jeremy Clarkson (of Top Gear) has owned a farm in the heart of the Cotswolds since 2008. He employed a nearby farmer to look after it all. But he eventually retired not long before the Covid-19 lockdown.
This was the driving force behind Jeremy taking over the running of things, with the help of seasoned farmer, Kaleb Cooper. So the first few seasons of the show was based around his antics at the farm and looking at ways to make money.
Part of that was the opening of his original Diddly Squat farm shop (which is also the name of his farm). However, the very latest season focused on him acquiring a pub, and this is what he ended up with.
While it wasn't in a great state when he first bought the place, he's really turned it around, with help from some experts, of course. The other great thing about The Farmer's Dog is that all of the food and drink served has to be British-grown and it really does make a difference.
That's what sets this pub apart from all of the other pubs out there. It's not mass-produced and cheap. The portions are generous, the quality is incredible and it will keep you wanting to go back for more.
The parking
Parking is relatively simple. But the thing you have to bear in mind is that the pub itself sits in a rural area, so there's no street lighting. In fact, there's no lighting at all, really. We learnt this the hard way when we went as we had a dinner time slot.
With this in mind, when pulling up to park, you might want to take your time. There's a designated field over the road that you can park in, which is a very short walk to the pub. You can also park up on the pub's land, too.
But it's usually designated for disabled parking, so consider that before trying to pull up right outside the joint. However, after a certain time, and if there's space, you might be able to get a spot on the pub land itself.
Although, it is very muddy and there are a lot of trees around - just something to think about. You might think that the field over the road is muddy, but there's boarding down which is great because it stops your car from getting stuck in the mud. Either way, there's loads of parking available.
The atmosphere
To say it was very busy, it was really quiet. We were placed upstairs, but it wasn't echo-ey. There was music on for ambience, but the volume was moderate - just enough that you could hear the song but not too loud that you can't hear anything.
They didn't over-book the place, either. When we sat down, there were still a few tables for two that were vacant. Of course, those parties showed up throughout the night, but it was generally really chilled out. It felt almost as if you were eating dinner in someone's cosy little cottage.
The lighting was warm and soft. It wasn't bright and clinical. In fact, that ambience was set from the moment you walk in through the door, where you're greeted by the famous chrome-plated tractor that was done for Jeremy Clarkson by Richard Hammond.
The food
*The food and drink menu changes with the seasons. What you see available here may not be available during the spring or summer months, and vice-a-versa. Check the website before booking.
Starters: Butternut squash soup & oyster mushrooms
As a starter, Tom had the Soup of the Day, which was butternut squash with sourdough bread and butter. I had grey oyster mushrooms on foccacia with poached egg and garlic butter. It was all delicious. The soup was thick, creamy and full of flavour.
The sourdough bread was the closest we had ever tasted to the bread we had in San Francisco. It brought us right back to our honeymoon. It was super hot and steamy, and just the most perfect consistency. Tom said it was the best soup he's ever had, so that tells you something.
I had the grey oyster mushrooms on foccacia with a perfectly poached egg and garlic butter. The yolk in the middle was a very rich orange and it didn't even taste like egg, as silly as that sounds. It was cooked to perfection. It popped open and the runny yolk in the middle oozed out.
It was the perfect accompaniment to the mushrooms and bread. The mushrooms themselves were meaty and full of flavour. I haven't ever had mushrooms like it. The garlic butter just elevated the dish even further. The only criticism I have is that it could have been a bit warmer, but that's it!
Mains: Steak pie & gammon steak
For mains, Tom had the steak pie with mash, roasted vegetables, seasonal greens and Hawkstone gravy. I went for the gammon steak with crushed new potatoes, roasted vegetables, seasonal greens and a cider cream sauce.
Tom's pie was made with shortcrust pastry and it was absolutely filled to the brim with steak and Hawkstone gravy. Hawkstone is Jeremy's brewery where he brews his own lagers, beers, IPAs and ciders. The steak was succulent and almost melted in the mouth.
The vegetables were cooked to absolute perfection as well, as were the veggies on my plate. The gammon was a generous portion and the meat was expertly cooked and full of smoky flavour. It was the best gammon I've ever had.
The mash that came with Tom's pie was creamy and buttery and my crushed potatoes were tasty and had a very appetising consistency. There's absolutely nothing bad that either of us can say about our main courses here at The Farmer's Dog.
Dessert: Apple & oat crumble cake
Only Tom had a dessert, I couldn't possibly eat another thing. This apple and oat crumble cake was divine. The sponge was soft and light but full of flavour. It came with an apple compote and a scoop of Cotswold cream ice cream. Even the compote and the ice cream was amazing, as was the apple cake itself.
Let's just say they definitely didn't skimp on the apple. The slice of cake you get was also huge, almost like a slab on dessert on a plate, but we're definitely not complaining. While the prices may be on the expensive side, you do get a lot of for your money and the quality is just unrivalled.
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Have you ever been to the Farmer's Dog in the Cotswolds? What did you think to it? Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you all again soon with some brand new content!
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