Hillbrooke Hotel Company to Run The Stag and Huntsman

So the news is out. The era of the local Landlord is over in Hambleden. Urs Shwarzenbach and the Culden Faw Estate have sold out the running of The Stag and Huntsman to a boutique hotel group -- The Hillbrooke Hotel Company. Quite what this will mean to our local pub remains to be seen but judging from Hillbrooke's website, we can expect quirkiness rather than quaintness. Simple and perfectly cooked modern British food. An atmosphere of informality, fun, friendliness and efficiency and an active part in the local community.


It all sounds too good to be true. Judging by the other properties under the management of this group, we can certainly expect standards to be raised but at what cost The promise of the Estate not to turn The Stag and Huntsman into a gastro pub looks to ring true to a certain extent when you look at the menus of sister establishments. Lunch menus that include beef burger for £12.00. Sausage and mash for £12.50. Puddings all at £6.00. Dinner menus with starters from £6 and mains all around £18.  Admittedly, these prices aren't far short of the old Stag and Huntsman menu and I guess if the quality improves, then The Culden Faw Estate can expect to see customers attracted away from the Frog, The Chequers and The Bull and Butcher.


One big plus point that will surely bring in the ramblers are the sandwiches, something that was a rather bizarre omission from the old menu under the previous regime. And if the afternoon menu features in The Culden Faw Estate's plans, then many will be happy. 


Alex Dick has been quoted in The Henley Standard saying "we believe the partnership will provide the pub and its visitors with everything that is so good in a traditional village pub." Let's just hope The Culdern Faw Estate and the Hillbrooke Hotel Company remember that The Stag and Huntsman is also a local's pub frequented by a wide mix of villagers on a regular basis. We look forward to a locals welcome and we'll let Mr Christoph Brooke, Managing Director know if we don't (his email and mobile number can be found on The Hillbrooke Hotels website).

Blockwork Goes Up @ The Stag and Huntsman

It's been a stunning few days in the Hambleden Valley with clear blue winter skies, heavy white frosts and perfect still air. The walkers have been out in droves and the village has been a bustle of activity. All in all a perfect weekend for a beer and a roast lunch at The Stag and Huntsman.

But obviously it is not to be this winter. Visitors to Hambleden continue to be greeted by the renovations and by a web of scaffolding. The building site at the back, guarded as it is by sturdy metal railings, is a picture of industry. Mud, machinery and part built walls now welcome those who find their way into the car park. Those who make a regular pilgrimage to the Hambleden Valley cannot but fail to be impressed by the progress being made. In the last few days, the blockwork to the new extension has really begun to take shape. The photos on the left show just how the pub's entertainment venue, kitchen, store room and manager's flat will look once completed.

The sad thing about looking at this structure as it rises from the ground is the amount of garden it looks likely to swallow up. For Friday night garden regulars, the atmosphere of this most favourite of family evenings looks set to change for ever more. With luck and hopefully with some foresight by the Culden Faw Estate, the garden will retain sufficient space to allow us all to enjoy the last of the summer sun and from which our children can make their excited excursions onto the Dean. 

The saving grace however might be the fact that the garden is also beloved by the walkers who swarm like 'be-sticked' ants along the footpaths and bridleways, guided by dog eared books and in some modern cases, handheld GPS units. The worry however is that the Estate might wish to discourage their patronage given as they are to drinking halves of orange squash and bringing their own sandwiches!


Only time will tell. But as the days count down to the predicted opening of The Stag and Huntsman, all who frequent it, be they be Hambleden regulars or visitors to our beautiful valley wait with eager anticipation. All we need to do now is to see what the builders are doing on the inside!

Springing to the Defence of Hambleden Life

The loss of the Stag and Huntsman through the Christmas period was pretty hard to swallow. It seemed there was a hole in the community, one that the sports and social club tried valiantly to fill. I was therefore a tad sensitive to the importance of village life so when I came across an article from a local journalist in the London Evening Standard. I was forced to respond. The following post on my personal blog (http://sparkthedebate.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-fresh-air-birdsong-work-for-me.html explains why I believe so passionately in the fabric of village life. Views and comments would be most welcome. And if you want to go to the Evening Standard to see the original article written by Lucy Cavendish click on this link: Evening Standard. I do think there might be some views on what Lucy writes about!