Taking care of food and drink at The Methuen Arms
is award-winning Head Chef Leigh Evans, formerly of
Combe Grove Manor, The Chequers and The Royal
Crescent Hotel in Bath. Evans sources the finest local
ingredients, makes everything on site from scratch
where possible, minimises waste and adopts a nose to
tail philosophy when it comes to crafting his menus,
whether it’s for a simple pub snack or a more indulgent
evening meal. Standout dishes include seared scallops
with crispy ham hock, black treacle, lime, cauliflower,
Granny Smith apple and spices (£12) for starters or
mains like lamb short rib and seared rump with raw
radicchio, peas, broad bean, mint and pomme anna
(£22).
In the pub area, diners can tuck into classics like
Butcombe battered haddock with hand cut chips
(£13.50), truffled macaroni cheese (£11) and a
selection of 28-day dry aged steaks cooked in the Big
Green Egg ceramic BBQ. The stunning new gardens
make the perfect setting for a mid-summer evening
spent sharing a 24oz rump cap steak (£47) with
Peppercorn sauce and a bottle of delicious red wine
from the cellar. With Leigh in the kitchen and Ashley
and Abigail, the general managers, running the front
of house, The Methuen Arms is better than ever and
stands firmly as Butcombe Brewery’s flagship inn and
the hub of the community.
The hard work doesn’t stop there. The Methuen Arms
has recently acquired planning permission to restore
the stables into 5 new hotel bedrooms and the old barn
Website: www.themethuenarms.com
for private hire.
Speaking about the renovations, Jayson Perfect,
Managing Director of Pubs & Inns at Liberation
Group , said: “The Methuen Arms was a fascinating
project because the space was steeped in history and
had so much potential, but it needed to be unlocked.
The more we looked the more gems we found, like the
hidden parquet timber flooring. It was also important
from the start that we created a destination that could
act as a home away from home for both guests and
locals – the pub is the cornerstone of any village,
after all. The final result is absolutely stunning and
altogether more welcoming for everyone.”
TEL: +44 (0)1249 717060