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Beki Moon
We're beyond thrilled to share that The Killingworth Castle has secured a well-deserved spot in The Guardian’s prestigious list of the UK's most beautiful foodie pubs with rooms, and we couldn’t be more proud to see our beloved pub recognised for its charm, warm hospitality, and incredible culinary experiences!
Exciting news! We're thrilled to share that The Killingworth Castle has been featured in the September issue of The Scotsman Magazine! This amazing recognition highlights our commitment to great food, warm hospitality, and creating unforgettable experiences for everyone who visits.
A big thank you to all of our loyal customers and our incredible team who make it all happen! 🙌 Check out the article for a closer look at what makes The Killingworth Castle so special, and don't forget to grab your copy of The Scotsman Magazine this month! 🗞️
We are thrilled to announce that The Killingworth Castle has been included in The Good Food Guide 2024, confirming us as one of the best pub dining spots in Britain! We have also proudly maintained our third AA Rosette for the second consecutive year.
The AA inspector stated…
“Dinner was a real highlight. Diners had the option of the Tasting Menu and a la Carte menu, both showcasing high quality, seasonal ingredients, and carefully considered combinations. Dishes demonstrated keen skills, technique, with clear, balanced flavours across all courses - the three AA Rosette Award confidently recommended here. Excellent hosting presence in place at dinner and breakfast, which really enhanced the dining experience.”
So why not come find your new favourite dish from our 3-AA Rosette Michelin-recommended pub kitchen…choose A la carte or our tasting menus …. the perfect antidote to lift those summer spirits!
We hope to see you soon!
Great news! Our village of Wootton near Blenheim Palace is among the Top 30 UK villages according to the Telegraph! We’re delighted to be recommended as the place to eat & stay and for our village to be one of the best in the country.
Just found out we’re in the new UK Top 50 Gastropub list. This is huge, these awards are compiled by the best chefs and critics in the industry.
Back in 2012, we won ‘Best Newcomer’ in the same awards so it feels very special to now find ourselves among the best in the country. Thanks to our team and lovely regulars!
With our third AA Rosette awarded in September, now is the perfect time to join us for a romantic foodie getaway.
Dine on delicious menus, enjoy blissfully comfy bedrooms and experience the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace in all their winter glory.
We are thrilled to announce that The Killingworth Castle has been awarded with 3 AA Rosettes, a prestigious recognition of culinary excellence!!
Oxford inn and gastropub awarded three AA Rosettes
The AA Rosette Award recognises the crème de la crème of UK culinary establishments
(London) 25 September 2023:
Last night, The Killingworth Castle, the historic pub with rooms in Wootton near Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, was awarded three AA Rosettes at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards.
One of the industry’s most highly anticipated events, the glittering awards ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London was hosted by much-loved TV presenter Claudia Winkleman, celebrating the UK’s top hotels, restaurants, and pubs and the people behind them.
Nestled within the picturesque village of Wootton, Oxfordshire, The Killingworth Castle has eight luxury en-suite rooms with exquisite food that focuses on seasonal, wild & organic fare from the Cotswolds. Establishments with three AA Rosettes are all outstanding restaurants achieving standards which demand national recognition well beyond their local area and The Killingworth Castle is one of only 7 new inns with rooms in the whole of the UK to be awarded a third rosette in 2023 at the AA’s annual Hospitality Awards last night.
The AA, which has long been a marker of leading restaurant and accommodation venues, celebrates the crème de la crème of UK hospitality. Following a visit from an anonymous inspector, the hotel was reviewed against nine quality assessment areas, ranging from standards of service to cleanliness and quality of food. The inspector described the establishment as ‘well run in a personalised way with very good hospitality from a customer-focused team which made for a welcoming atmosphere throughout the stay’.
The Killingworth Castle’s owner, Jim Alexander, commented:
“We’re extremely proud to have been awarded three Rosettes by the AA. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to producing exceptional food and unparalleled guest experiences each day.
“Our talented team consistently go above and beyond to ensure that hotel residents and local diners alike enjoy a memorable visit.”
Claire Alexander, The Killingworth Castle’s co-owner added; “After a few challenging years, it’s particularly rewarding to get the recognition of being in the top few per cent of food providers in the country. It’s a huge motivator for us as an independent, family run business in an ever-increasing environment of pubcos and chains and we’re over the moon.”
Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media said:
“Every year we present awards to the very best AA-rated hotels, restaurants, spas and their teams across the UK. The AA Rosette award, first awarded in 1956, was the first nationwide scheme for assessing the quality of food served by restaurants and hotels. AA Rosettes recognise culinary excellence and dedication to ensure consistent quality of the highest order. For further information about the AA Hospitality Awards 2023, please visit: https://aahospitalityawards.com
Join us every Thursday between 6-7pm for Supper Club! Enjoy 2 ‘chef-selected’ a la carte dishes plus a bottle of house red or white wine for £35 per person.
Book your table online
With a history of revelry spawning 386 years at The Killingworth Castle, the pub is dipping its toes into a section of its history that was rife with debauched highwaymen, piracy and….rum!
As one of the fastest growing spirits in the World, rum and some specially created food pairings will be the star of the show at The Killingworth Castle’s special ‘Spirited Tasting’ evening on Friday 26th May.
DATE: Friday 26th May, 2023 (From 7.30pm)
WHERE: The Killingworth Castle, Wootton near Woodstock, OX20 1EJ
TICKETS: £55 per person – 4 specially paired food tastings, 4 rums and two cocktails!
BOOK: 01993 811 401 or email reservations@thekillingworthcastle.com
Booking essential.
If you’ve been thinking about trying our hugely popular Tasting Menu, make sure you read the latest review from Ox in a Box.
“What Killy doesn’t do is pub grub. No fish and chips, burgers and ploughman’s here. It’s serious food from a chef whose pedigree includes the Michelin-starred likes of Gordon Ramsey’s, Royal Hospital Road, Mallory Court in Warwick and Le Champignon Sauvage. The attention to detail, the love and dedication attributed to each component, was humbling. ”
We have been blown away by the recent feedback for our menus. If you would like to treat your tastebuds this summer to a foodie getaway in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, book online now.
To sample our tasting menu, click here
Super happy to be featured as one of the ‘Great British boltholes’ in the Daily Mail this week.
“…more alluring than ever with 8 plush rooms and food that is a big step above pub grub”.
We couldn’t have put it better ourselves! So if you want somewhere to eat, if you're visiting nearby Blenheim Palace, or just fancy a night away in a lovely country pub this summer, then check out our menus and rooms.
Thank you to Tom Chesshyre who came to review. Read the full feature below.
We are super chuffed with the latest Telegraph reviewer who said our pub is “the best place for those in the know to base yourself for a perfectly balanced holiday’. And hailed us ‘one of the best foodie pubs in the country’ offering great value!
Read the full Telegraph review below
If you were to bottle the quintessence of Britain and sprinkle it from a helicopter, what would grow in the fertile land below is the Cotswolds. This is a verdant hillscape and sleepy villages and thatched honey-stone cottages, with country houses, Roman ruins, and old coaching inns showcasing the country at its very best. But the secret is very much out, and today the Cotswolds attracts millions of international tourists, particularly (in pre-pandemic times) from China and the Far East.
But if you head to the fringes you can find sleepy splendour, a cobblestone’s throw from the action.
On a recent bank-holiday weekend I landed upon the Goldilocks Zone of Wootton-by-Woodstock, a village on the cusp of the Cotswold Area of National Beauty. The village, which featured in the Domesday Book, has a population of just shy of 600 and local life centres around the community shop full of organic delights, an attractive Gothic parish church and a pub with a potted history. A perfect jumping-off point for visitors in the know.
Built in 1637, Killingworth Castle was once a popular pit-stop for travellers on the old Worcester to London Roman road. Later, it was the haunt of local lad Winston Churchill, who used to test his cars on drives to the pub from Blenheim Palace with his friend (and founder of Morris Motors) William Morris. Today, the coaching inn is one of the most decorated foodie pubs in the country, having accrued two AA Rosettes and a Michelin recommendation in its 10 years under new ownership, and these days the pub owners even brew their own beers under the label Yubberton.
In the stable block next to the pub you will find stylish ensuite accommodation, with handmade wooden beds and roll-top baths.
Have a Cotswold staycation knowing you can keep your fuel costs down by using our electric charge points every day.
While your vehicle is charging you can refuel yourself with a hearty breakfast, light lunch or evening meal, 5 days a week. See details and menus. Or why not take advantage of a good night’s sleep with an overnight stay. You can book online here.
We are thrilled to announce that we’ve made it into the top 50 pubs in the Cotswolds for 2022.
The pub is no stranger to top accolades over the past 18 months after receiving 3 OSH stars from The Soil Association, 2-AA Rosettes and a 2021 Travellers Choice Award after consistently receiving positive traveller reviews on Tripadvisor - an amazing accomplishment that puts us in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.
It’s great to be acknowledged for the hospitality we offer, as well as our food, and for our pub’s lovely B&B rooms.
