Christopher Gray enjoys his food at both ends of the day at the Porch House, a tenth-century inn

The week of Rosemarie’s birthday began in suitably lavish style with lunch at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and ended on the anniversary day itself with breakfast in an inn that claims to be the oldest in Britain, the Porch House, in Stow-on-the-Wold, dating from the middle of the tenth century. It cannot be said (it rarely is) that we are unversed in enjoying ourselves.

The Porch House brekkie (a word allowed, incidentally, by the Oxford English Dictionary) suggests the possibility that we had enjoyed a night of slumber on the same premises. This was indeed the case, our sleep the more sound from having followed a delicious dinner in the restaurant.

A rootle round some of the antique shops for which this famously lovely Cotswold town is famous had preceded that. I’d forgotten that there is a dedicated outlet for Aga cookers, too. How Gloucestershire is that!

On our stroll we noticed how well supplied the town is in the products of some of the better known English breweries. We held off from the Hook Norton and Arkell’s beers proclaimed in signs on two of the buildings, but Donnington Ales were not to be resisted for a first pre-prandial tipple.

The second, back at the Porch House, was from another great name in brewing, Brakspear, a company associated over many years with the town of Henley but now selling beers principally brewed in Witney. The refreshing Spring Fling, which we sampled, is actually one of the two beers being produced at a new microbrewery at Brakspear’s managed pub in Henley, the Bull on Bell Street.

Brakspear has owned the Porch House since the middle of last year, fashioning it from two separate businesses, one a rather tired hotel, the Royalist, and the other a basic boozer (now the bar) called the Eagle and Child. The new name is the old name of the Royalist, which will no doubt please the traditionally minded.

Witney Gazette:

Chris Gray with the porridge at breakfast (he actually passed on the Glenmorangie whisky)

Lavish spending of a million pounds and more on renovations is reflected in the tasteful decor – well illustrated on this page – observable since reopening last September. That in the ancient dining room is particularly pleasing, with its dark blue and grey Farrow & Ball colours contributing to a stately feel created by the exposed beams, honey-coloured stone walls, oak floorboards and the pair of huge inglenook fireplaces. To be seated in this candlelit domain, glasses of Mercier champagne in hand, was to feel contentment, even before the first bite of food was enjoyed.

The Porch House menu is not extensive, but well-sourced and appealing. The six starters tonight include crispy pork belly with beetroot, vegetable soup and sweet potato and chickpea fritter. Main courses include chicken breast with Stilton and bacon, fillet of Loch Duart Salmon and rib-eye and sirloin steaks (or chateaubriand for two with a bottle of champagne for £100 — one of the night’s specials. The other was plaice).

My starter choice was crayfish and mushrooms on sourbread toast, which made an excellent flavour combination. It had a topping of fennel and chervil salad. Rosemarie enjoyed two slices of a well-managed chicken and ham hock ballotine attractively presented with gherkins, apple chutney (very sweet) and toast.

“Not the most fishy of fish pies”, as she styled it, followed. Sampling it, I formed the view that this was because the fish had been absorbed into the cheesy mash topping rather than forming a discrete layer beneath it.

Witney Gazette:

The fish pie

I greatly enjoyed my pink slices of Cotswold Farm Park lamb rump, served with runner beans (distinctly unseasonal), pea mash and pearl onions. The Argentinian Malbec (La Colonia) was an ideal accompaniment, and remained so for the cheese that followed — including a wonderful Sussex camembert. I’d been amazed to find this (or an English cheese very similar) served at Le Manoir, incidentally. Rosemarie finished with a chocolate brownie with caramel sauce.

After a night between crisp white linen sheets we rose to breakfast, full English with local sausage for Rosemarie, and porridge for me.

I passed on the Glenmorangie whisky offered with it in true Highland style. Well, I did have to drive home . . .

The Porch House
Digbeth Street
Stow-on-the-Wold
Gloucestershire GL54 1BN
01451 870048
Porch-house.co.uk

Opening times: Daily 8am-11pm. Breakfast served daily 8am-10am. Lunch noon to 2.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-3.30pm Sun. Dinner 6.30pm-9.30pm Mon-Sat. Closed Sun. Pug and conservatory serve food noon till 9.30pm (8.30pm Sun).
Parking: Off-road parking for four cars at side of property, Unrestricted parking in the street.
Key personnel: Manager James Rogers
Make sure you try the... Starters of cod and potato hash with crispy red onion rings (£7.95), chicken and ham hock ballotine (£7.50) and crayfish and mushrooms on toast with fennel and chervil salad (£7.95); main courses of Porch House fish pie (£12.95), Cotswold Farm Park lamb rump with pea mash, runner beans and purple onions (£16.50) and roasted vegetable tart with mushroom sauce (£11.50); puddings of chocolate brownie with caramel sauce (£6.50), apple and rhubarb crumble (£5.95) and British cheeses with grapes and biscuits (£8.95).
In ten words: Country comforts and well-sourced food at a real Cotswold classic