When news that a much-loved pub of Witney was reopening under new owners, we jumped at the chance to see whether it had maintained the charm and incredible food that made it such a hit before. We have been eating in the Three Horseshoes since we moved to Witney a few years ago and have never had a bad meal, along with the rest of the community we were really sad to hear of the news of their sudden closure as well as its sister pub, The Hollybush last year. The big selling point of the Horseshoes was the community hub it created for locals looking to spend the evening with reliably outstanding food, marvellous drinks and every now and then, some fantastic open mic music. Could the new owners, four locals from Witney, do it as well as we knew it to be?

We arrived at the pub, on the buzzing Corn Street, to an already packed front bar. The tables were full of customers ready to try the new menu. We took Ralph, our cocker spaniel and he was warmly welcomed, a great start for a dog-friendly pub. We were early for our table but were invited to grab a drink at the bar whilst we waited. The staff are all new to their jobs but were working their socks off to get everyone their drinks. We had only just sat down at the bar when we were told our table was ready, so through we went to one of the small nooks, which exuded cosy with its low ceilings and wooden beams. It was nice to be in a small section of the pub, it made for a more intimate dining experience.

To start, Rachel ordered the roast gem lettuce, anchovies, capers, poached egg, parsley, croutons and garlic dressing. This was a delicate balance of flavours and reminiscent of a Caesar salad. The poached egg exploded on slicing which added rich yolk to the dressing, making it more decadent. The lettuce was delicious as were all of the other ingredients. The whole dish was served cold, which came as a surprise, as the expectation was that the roasted lettuce and poached egg would be hot elements of the dish, however, it worked well cold.

For our mains, Rachel ordered grilled pork cutlet, garlic roasted potatoes, black pudding, apple compote, baked fennel, cider and mustard sauce, and Holly ordered the 3 Horseshoes burger, smoked cheddar, chorizo, burger Sauce, crispy pickles, fries.

The pork cutlet was a generous cut, perfectly cooked, with a good amount of fat to add flavour. The garlic potatoes were nice, as was the fennel, however, when added to a forkful of all elements on the dish it overpowered the other flavours. The black pudding and apple compote really brought the dish together and added a good hit of flavour and the cider and mustard sauce added a delicate undertone to everything. The crispy pickles that accompanied the burger were a triumph, I could have happily sat with a bowl full of them and munched my way through them. The burger itself was really juicy and the addition of the melted smoked cheese and thinly sliced chorizo added a depth of flavour without overpowering the other elements. It came with a generous portion of fries and overall was a really good pub burger.

For dessert, Rachel had the homemade Eccles cake with 3 Virgins cheese and Holly had the bramley apple and rhubarb crumble with vanilla custard. The Eccles was a perfect merging of savoury and sweet. A well-filled Eccles cake, with fruit that went all the way to the edge providing a seat for a big wedge of delicious, tangy cheese. It was an unusual pairing but worked so well together and was something different from the usual pub desserts. The crumble had a lovely streusel topping which enhanced the flavour of the apple and rhubarb and gave it a crunchy texture. The vanilla custard was served in a small jug on the side. The crumble had always been a favourite from times gone by so it was always going to have to live up to its predecessor. We are pleased to report that it did!

We had a fantastic evening at the Three Horseshoes and it does exactly what the new owners set out to achieve. It delivers delicious food at a good value in a lovely setting. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable for only having worked together for a short time. If you’re ever looking for a pub in West Oxfordshire, this pub would be well worth a visit, it’s one to watch.

The Three Horseshoes
78 Corn St, Witney OX28 6BS
threehorseshoeswitney.co.uk