The Old Butchers is a casual, family-run restaurant in the Cotswolds serving a generous modern European menu of crowd-pleasing favourites. It was opened by Pete and Louise Robinson in 2005, originally a butcher’s shop and now a friendly and welcoming place to dine on lovingly-cooked fare within cosy interiors. Pete, who was born in Macclesfield, has worked in a number of highly-praised restaurants including a stint as head chef at two Michelin-starred Bibendum. Louise, meanwhile, runs the day-to-day operations of the restaurants, and their daughter Millie works front of house – it's a full family affair.
The dining room is rustic and cosy inside, with wooden tables, stone brick walls and a feature shelf showcasing its wine collection. There is also limited outdoor seating at the front of the restaurant which is best suited to when the sun is shining.
The Old Butchers menu incorporates a nose-to-tail ethos into its cooking to ensure as little as possible is wasted. The menu changes regularly in line with what’s available and seasonal at the time, especially for things like meat and seafood. The latter plays a prominent role on the menu, with dedicated sections for shellfish and ‘fruits de mer’. Guests can order the likes of lobster thermidor, Scottish langoustines with mayonnaise or a platter of fresh seafood to share, while raw plates include oysters and tuna tartare with soy, mirin and avocado. Main dishes might include things like Cornish lobster mac ‘n’ cheese or line caught pollock with warm tartar sauce, smoked salmon and samphire, but for meat-lovers there are also dishes ‘cooked over charcoal’ including a choice of steaks or calves liver with slow cooked onions, aligot pancetta and aged balsamic.
The drinks list offers a fine array of wines and spirits, as well as a collection of local beers, bitters and ales.