Invite: The Sun Inn, Hook Norton

Nestled in the small Cotswold village of Hook Norton, The Sun Inn is everything you’d expect a country pub to be.

Cosy interiors and locals bustling throughout, despite the fact we visited on a Wednesday evening! The Sun Inn is part of the Free Spirit family, who own several pubs across the Midlands, including The Seven Stars in Marsh Baldon.

The menu hosts seasonal takes on pub classics.

For starter, I had the beetroot scotch egg – a perfectly boiled egg encased in a beetroot puree, coated with breadcrumbs giving it a crisp outer layer. This was served with a punchy horseradish creme fraiche which complemented the earthy beetroot well, alongside a side salad.

My boyfriend had the hot buffalo chicken wings with blue cheese dip. I would emphasise the hot here, they really do mean it! The chicken was succulent and juicy, as a wing should be, and the heat was nicely tamed by the rich blue cheese sauce. They were accompanied by a small bowl of water to wash your hands in, which we thought was a nice touch to clean mucky fingers!

Onto the mains!

I opted for the Pork Chop. This was served with a lovely bubble and squeak, crispy fried egg, and garlic butter. The pork was cooked on a grill pan, giving a subtle charred flavour that complemented the buttery bubble and squeak. The garlic butter tied every element of the dish together and there was plenty of it too!

We also had the Buttermilk Fried Chicken burger served with fries, spicy mayonnaise, and slaw. The burger was juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside, all packed into a glossy brioche bun. My only reservation here would be the overdressed slaw, which had slightly too much mayonnaise. It could have been light and refreshing, but instead there was a bit of a mayo overkill alongside the burger’s sauce.

Despite feeling extremely full, it would be rude not to have dessert. I’m glad we persevered! I went for the sticky toffee pudding and my boyfriend the chocolate brownie. Both were served warm and came dressed beautifully with edible flowers, a really lovely touch and something you’d expect in a high-end restaurant.