The 300-year-old Woolpack Inn is an unspoilt gem with a cosy bar area and vine-covered terrace from where guests can enjoy spectacular views across the Cotswolds.
The pub has flown up the Gastropub list from last years’ 72 to 34 for 2024.
Local sculptor Daniel Chadwick bought the pub, which is on the edge of Slad Valley in 1999, and in 2015 he modernised the kitchen and brought in head chef Adam Glover.
Glover has attracted the acclaim of critics with his elegant approach to cooking and presenting quality ingredients, which include organic and heritage vegetables grown in the neighbouring valley at Lypiatt Park.
Driven by his suppliers produce, the menu is concise and perfectly formed, allowing the quality of the ingredients to speak for themselves.
Customers can begin their meal here with crab soup & aioli, devilled kidneys, or blood orange, radicchio, walnuts & salted ricotta. Follow that with faggots, mashed swede with red cabbage, pumpkin, lentils and goat’s curd or pork chop, lyonnaise potatoes and green sauce, rounding off with quince and almond pavlova, treacle tart and Jersey cream or St Emilion au chocolat.
The pub boasts a premium bar snacks menu in the bar kitchen that includes delicacies such as sardines on toast, cheese and chutney toastie and pickled cockles.
The pub was made famous by Laurie Lee the English poet and writer, celebrated for his internationally acclaimed childhood memoir, ‘Cider with Rosie’. He was a regular visitor to this local pub and referred to it with great affection. He is buried in the Slad Churchyard and a walker’s route around the village of Slad is dedicated to him by name.
The Woolpack is also the proud custodian of the Laurie Lee beer bottle collection and a cabinet dedicated to his written works, as part of its tiny book shop.
