The Sparsholt. A Wonderful Restaurant That Celebrates The Taste Of The Oxfordshire Countryside.

Andy Mossack travels to the Vale of the White Horse to dine at The Sparsholt, an excellent restaurant with rooms.

It was early morning and I remember sitting out on the terrace in the lush garden of The Sparsholt eating breakfast the morning after my epic dinner there. The sun was shining, a brook was babbling, there was birdsong, and I was thinking plenty of good thoughts. That’s what the rolling English countryside does for you, particularly this corner of the rural Oxfordshire/Berkshire.

The remarkable Uffington White Horse and the historic Ridgeway just a stone’s throw away, and let’s not forget to mention the bucketload of chocolate box villages to wander around. Plenty of magnificent estates on show too, where our game of ”biionaire or millionaire’ is always a hoot. The rumour around the tiny Sparsholt hamlet is there is only one billionaire currently residing.

The Sparsholt is one of an impressive clutch of restaurants owned and run by Westbury Street Holdings, a company stewarded by hospitality legend Alastair Storey, a gentleman who certainly knows a thing or two about delivering outstanding food and drink. Together with The Clockspire in Somerset, and The Woodspeen and The Boxford in Newbury, this fast-expanding empire that will also be welcoming The Braywood near Bray to the fold later this year.

The Sparsholt was formerly the Star Inn, an 18th century pub that may have been a popular meeting spot in this tiny hamlet but had sadly faded and lost its mojo. It’s rebirth under talented head chef Luke Sutton and manager Chris Lowe has not only transformed this beautiful property into a contemporary fine dining destination but given the old girl her mojo back.

Make no mistake though this is a fine dining destination, but with the comfortable informality of a gastro pub. Sutton’s stints at Reading’s one Michelin star L’Ortolan, and the aforementioned Woodspeen provide proof of his gourmet culinary credentials, yet the laid-back vibe of the Sparsholt offers a much more relaxing dining experience.

It’s even more relaxing when you know you can sleep it all off here too. In an adjacent converted barn eight comfortable guestrooms await an overnight slumber, lorded over by veteran housekeeper Lizzie (the delicious homecooked biscuits are replenished each day) and a delicious breakfast back in the restaurant the next morning.

So, what about that dinner then?

The restaurant is a cosy mix of half-timber and contemporary, perhaps a nod to its historic roots while embracing modernity with grey tones, a hardwood floor and modern art on the walls.

The food highlights were many. An impressive starter: a duo of white crab sourdough crumpet and brown crab rarebit with Winchester cheddar and pickled fennel (£17) a highly recommended dish which looked as good as it tasted. Both mains were a stellar double act. A Cornish plaice on the bone melted in the mouth, with Jersey royals and summer radishes and brown butter sauce (£27).

I on the other hand, kept the cheese faith going with a Winchester cheddar and onion tart with a smoked shallot and summer truffle that was otherworldly (£24). I had already been warned that Luke’s triple-cooked chips were practically an art form which tapped right into my crispy chip obsession, and they didn’t disappoint. Those babies were crispy!

However, the final act dessert got a standing ovation. A dreamy custard tart with raspberries and a lemon sorbet and two spoons (£10). It was sharing heaven on a plate.

I managed to stagger the few yards back to my room sated with food and dreamt of fat crispy chips and custard.

That leads us back to those breakfast musings on the garden terrace, where assistant manager Sharon back on duty from the night before, delivered a bowl of berries before idly mentioning “I picked those gooseberries from my garden at home.”

What?? Well, I reckon that’s farm to fork in the truest sense of the word.

The Sparsholt is an excellent restaurant with rooms. But it’s more than that. It’s a perfect base for exploring Oxfordshire’s gorgeous countryside. Highly recommended.