For companies based in Oxford looking for somewhere special to celebrate their Christmas party, The Bat & Ball in Cuddesdon offers a countryside option instead of heading into the city. It makes sense, when you think about it, because what could be more Christmas-appropriate than a roaring fire, cosy corners and historic charm? The Bat & Ball has plenty of all three with rustic, original features like stone walls and wooden ceiling beams.
There isn't a specific private dining space but the team welcome group bookings and can either organise a large table, semi-private corner of the pub or even a complete takeover. This option would work really well with booking out the bedrooms upstairs, too. Bedrooms are uniquely designed and offer cosy, comforting spaces with classically English design - the floral headboards are a particular stand out. This way, your friends, family or colleagues can enjoy a full night of dining and drinking, without having to worry about getting home.
The food is a huge draw at The Bat & Ball, with a menu curated by Head Chef Rick Owens, known for his work at two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Here, the spectrum of menus across breakfast, lunch and dinner are hyper seasonal and nod to classic British cooking with some innovative updates.
While Christmas menus aren't yet available - and we're sure will be wonderfully in time with the seasons - you can take a look at sample menus online, just to get a feel of what's to come. For example, the dinner menu starts with smaller plates such as smoked mackerel with pickled beetroot, horseradish cream and nasturt leaf, before leading into larger dishes like Scottish cod with with shellfish risotto and charred courgette. Desserts might look like bread and butter pudding with mango, white chocolate and passionfruit sorbet or dark chocolate and rhubarb mille-feuille.