Latest news with #ButcombeBrewery
Times
5 days ago
- Times
The quintessential village pub stay — in England's most underrated county
Tollard Royal is a tick list of country clichés. Embedded in the glorious greenery of the Cranborne Chase and old enough to have a Domesday Book mention, it's a collection of roses-round-the-door cottages with a village pond, a war memorial and a 13th-century church with bell-ringers. Adding to the feelgood factor is the King John, an ivy-clad Victorian coaching inn where the locals are tweed-wearing hunting, shooting, fishing types and the visitors are hoping for a glimpse of the area's most famous gamekeeper, the film director Guy Ritchie, who lives up the road. The pub was taken over and renovated by the southwest beer-maker Butcombe Brewery last year, which has brought a boutique spin to this bucolic spot. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Score 8/10In keeping with the locals' love of countryside pursuits, the eight rooms are named after makers of guns including Beretta, Purdey and Boss. Don't worry, the theme ends at the bedroom doors and interiors are cosy and peaceful. Walls are painted in mossy greens and cornflower blues or clad in creamy tongue and groove, with full-length arched metal mirrors, botanical prints and rural watercolours that are outshone by lovely views of the pub gardens and woodlands. A mix of antique and vintage furniture, bedheads covered in chintz or velvet and plenty of potted plants (though sadly plastic) brings a homely feel. There are thoughtful touches including pillow sprays and quirky bedside books. The ear plugs seem overcautious — the pub is roadside but there's barely any traffic late at night. In contrast, bathrooms feel functional rather than fancy and smaller rooms only have showers but all have full-sized, sweet-smelling toiletries by Bramley, made in nearby Semley. • Best UK pubs with rooms Score 7/10The welcome sign at the threshold refers to the 'wonderful' team. It's accurate if a little immodest because the staff are charming and ready to greet overnight guests with the offer of a complimentary pint of Butcombe beer or glass of wine or prosecco. The main salon is decorated in a stylish teal, with forest-green velvet banquettes and bistro chairs offset by a cheery red-tiled floor. The elegant sash windows ensure the room is light-filled. Dinner is a relaxed affair and, on balmy nights, happens on the terrace or in the tiered gardens, which rise up behind the car park. Starters of local asparagus and courgette, pea and watercress soup are summery and fresh, hearty mains of chalk-stream trout with tomato, olive and caper sauce and 28-day dry-aged steak with garlic butter, fat chips and roasted mushrooms leave little room for a dark chocolate brownie or lemon posset. Breakfast is equally meaty, with a loaded bacon butty, piled high with smoked streaky bacon, and a spicy shakshuka with a generous helping of flatbreads. There's a pétanque court and tables in the tiered Victorian kitchen garden that climbs up the hillside behind the pub. It's topped by a summertime pavilion bar which serves drinks, tapas and seafood platters. • More great hotels in Wiltshire Score 9/10Tollard Royal's Larmer Tree Gardens are 11 enchanting acres of grade II-listed Victorian pleasure grounds, with ancient trees, tranquil woodlands and blooming camellias, rhododendrons and hydrangeas (£4; larmer There is a beautiful walk from the pub into the Cranborne Chase, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Saxon hilltop town of Shaftesbury is a short drive away with its cobbled Gold Hill, independent shops and antique emporiums. Price B&B doubles from £110Restaurant mains from £17Family-friendly YDog-friendly YAccessible Y Susan d'Arcy was a guest of Butcombe Boutique Inns (
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
All the pubs where you can get free pints now, including Friday night beer discount
FRIDAY is finally here and many of us will be ringing in the weekend with a trip to the pub with our mates. But with payday still out of reach for many, you may be worried about how you can afford a trip to your local. 1 However, fear not as there are plenty of promotional offers at pubs up and down the country that can help you get your first pint for free. Major chains such as Young's are giving away free tipples this weekend and it is pretty easy to get your hands on. We round up the best offers below. Butcombe Brewery - 20% off drinks Butcombe Brewery loyalty members can enjoy 20% off alcoholic drinks on a Friday. It is free to sign up and can be done by downloading the Butcombe app onto your smart device. That means a £6.10 glass of pinot grigio will cost £4.88 while the offer is running. But only a select number of pubs run the offer, which you can check out here: The Kings Arms Melksham: Market Place, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6EX. The Mill: Liphook Road, Shottermill, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 3QE. The Pavilion: 41 Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6NB. The Rising Sun: 91 West Town Road, Backwell, Somerset, BS48 3BH. The Ring O Bells: Compton Martin, Somerset, BS40 6JE. The Quarrymans Arms: Box Hill, Corsham, Wiltshire, SN13 8HN. The Horse & Groom: The Street, Charlton, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9DL. The Northey Arms: Box, Wiltshire, SN13 8AE. The Royal Oak East Lavant: Pook Lane, East Lavant, West Sussex, PO18 0AX. The Fulham Arms: 135-137 Stephendale Road, Fulham, London, SW6 2PR. The Lamb Inn: The Square, Axbridge, Somerset, BS26 2AP. The Fish Inn: The Bridges, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 2AA. But even if your local is not on the list it may be worth signing up for its rewards programme, as other offers remain. That includes receiving three courses for two after 3pm on Sundays and £20 of free drinks when you spend £40 or more on food during your birthday month. Customers can also earn loyalty points when they spend money in pubs. The best loyalty schemes revealed & how to get freebies Punters collect two points for every £1 spent on drinks and accommodation. And five points for every £1 spent on food. When you reach 500 points and Butcombe credit £5 to your account. Free cocktails at Young's Nothing gives you that Friday feeling quite like sipping on a cocktail in a pub garden. Young's is giving customers the chance to enjoy a Rhubarb Rose Spritz on the house this weekend. To get your hands on the fruity and floral concoction you need to download the free Young's On Tap app. This is the official app for the group, which lets customers order drinks to their table and split bills with friends. Once you have done that you will then receive a code which you can redeem to order your drink . You can find your nearest Young's pub by visting, Free Rekorderlig cider at Nicholson's pubs Nicholson's has over 78 pubs across the UK and is owned by Mitchell's & Butlers. If you download the Nicholson's Pubs app you can get a Rekorderlig cider on the house. The code to redeem your drink should show up in the wallet section of the app. Like Young's the app lets customers order drinks to the table and also earn rewards. If you manage eight visits within a year you will unlocked a complimentary drink at visit four. Customers also get £5 off £15 spent at visit 6 and also a mighty final reward of 20% to use on every purchase that is valid for three months. Free drink at O'Neill's If you create an O'Neill's reward account you can claim a free welcome drink this summer. The pub group's loyalty programme also gives members the chance to collect stamps that can be exchanged for exclusive rewards. They will also get priority access to limited edition offers and deals. Free drink at random location using Dusk Dusk is an app which gives users a free drink everyday. In the past these have included things like a free pint of Guinness or a Gin and Tonic. This app cannot be used at any pub you want, so you will have to travel to the bar Dusk has chosen that day to redeem your free drink. However, the bar will always be within your local town or city. It is free to download and you need to link a bank card to avail of the offer. However, linking the card will not result in a charge on your bank account. How to save money buying alcohol Alcohol can be pricey if you're planning a party or hosting an event but there are ways to cut costs. It's always important to drink responsibly, here, Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements share some tips on getting booze for the best price. Stocking up can mean big savings on drinks, especially if you want to buy wine or fizz. The big supermarkets regularly offer discounts of 25% when you buy six or more bottles of wine. The promotions typically run in the lead up to occasions such as Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter. If you know you are going to need booze later in the year, it can be worth acting when you see offers. Before buying your preferred drink make sure you shop around to find the best price – you can use a comparison site such as or Don't forget that loyalty cards can unlock better savings so make sure you factor that in too. If you like your plonk, wine clubs can also be a good way to save money and try new varieties. You'll usually have to pay a membership fee in return for cheaper price so work out if you will be buying enough to make the one off cost worthwhile.
Time Out
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best pub in London in 2025, according to lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos
It is officially beer garden season! The weather is now clement enough for you to sit outside the best of London's pubs and sip a shandy in the sun. It's also time for a lucky boozer to be named the best in London. Congrats to the Punch Bowl in Mayfair, which lifestyle guide Muddy Stilettos has named the city's 'best destination pub' in the 2025 Muddy Stilettos Awards. Now in its 12th year, each year the awards recognise a host of shops, pubs, hotels and venues according to public votes. The Punch Bowl is a Georgian pub on a central London backstreet (Farm Street, to be exact). It used to belong to Guy Ritchie and Madonna, who bought it from Greg Foreman, son of gangster and Kray twins associate Freddie Foreman, in 2008. Ritchie sold the pub in 2013 and it was refurbished in 20914. It's now run by Butcombe Brewery and, impressively, is open from 8am for breakfast, serving a £50 sharing brekkie grill platter. The Grade II-listed boozer dates back to 1750. Speaking about the pub's win, The Punch Bowl's general manager Kyra Roberts said: 'We're absolutely delighted to have won Best Destination Pub in London! The team works tirelessly to give our guests the very best experience – from our exceptional food and drink to the live music, supper clubs and quiz nights we organise each month. 'We love the community we serve and to know our reputation for quality is spreading, leading to us winning an award as prestigious as this, is incredible!' The Punch Bowl beat out other pub finalists The Albion in Islington, The Holly Bush in Hampstead, The Three Crowns in Stoke Newington and The Wolfpack Inn in Fulham.
