The Pony & Trap

Twenty minutes’ drive from Bristol in the heart of the Chew Valley, this 200-year-old cottage pub belies the quality of its food. Chef Josh Eggleton took over the Pony & Trap back in 2006 and is now the recipient of a Michelin star – with not a starched tablecloth in sight. Family-run and dependant on the chef’s foodie pals for many of its ingredients (note the list of local suppliers on the menu), this prestigious hostelry is truly rooted in the area, with much of the food sourced from within a few miles: faggots with butternut squash and pumpkin seed dressing might give way to marinated pork fillet with Parma ham, onion soubise and Madeira jus or sea bass with glazed ox cheek, purple sprouting broccoli and gnocchi. Since Michelin’s thumbs-up, booking is recommended for both the cute pub area and the dining room.