The Gardeners Arms, Tewkesbury

When I heard that The Gardeners Arms in Alderton near Tewkesbury prided itself on its range of gin available, I knew that this was a place that I had to visit. Alderton is a little village on the edge of both the Cotswolds and the Vale of Evesham, but being only about 6 miles away from Tewkesbury and junction 9 of the M5, surprisingly easy to get to.

The pub itself is a gorgeous 16th Century thatched building, which looks completely in place within the village. It is the kind of building that you hope to find yourself outside of on a long country walk, when you need a drink, some food and a rest.

Inside the pub, there are beamed ceilings and stone walls, keeping some of the character of the building, but it has also been modernised giving it a bright, fresh feel. It’s cozy, but still up to date. And it goes beyond the decor too. The menu offers familiar pub food, but updated. The Gardeners Arms really isn’t a run-of-the-mill pub.

Obviously the first thing that I needed to do was to check out their selection of gin. There was a choice of ten on the bar menu! This included the usual pub “standards” like Gordons and Bombay Sapphire, but some more unusual ones which would please any gin connoisseur. These were also accompanied by a brief description of the flavor of each of these. I took the opportunity to try Jodhpur Gin, and Professor Ampleforth’s Bathtub Gin. I had a bottle of the Professor Ampleforth’s Bathtub Sloe Gin for my birthday last year, which I absolutely adored, and the Bathtub Gin didn’t disappoint. Definitely one to add to my list of gins to buy!

Once I had my G&T in hand (and mouth), I then had to make a decision about what to eat. I was very tempted by the Smoked Seafood Platter for starters, but as Rich and I fancied a dessert, we decided not to have a starter. The menu has a lot of pub classics, such as sausage and mash, lasagne and fish and chips, but also some more unusual dishes such as the Boneless Cotswold Lamb Chump and the Steak, Ale and Stilton Pie. They also offer a Vegan and Gluten-Free menu as well, so there is something to cater for everyone.

Rich opted for the Cajun-Spiced Chicken Breast Burger, which came with perfectly cooked chips – fluffy on the inside, with a crisp outside (I had to try a couple of these, purely for review purposes of course!). I couldn’t resist the Oriental Thai Sea Bass, which were two pan-fried sea bass fillets served with turmeric rice, Savoy cabbage and a ginger & lime broth. It was cooked to perfection, and whilst the flavours of ginger and lime were there, they didn’t overpower the delicate fish.

The dessert menu again had some pub classics, such as Sticky Toffee Pudding, Marbled Chocolate Brownie and a range of eight different flavours of ice cream and sorbets. Again, there were also some more unusual choices too. I had to try the Cardamom and Ginger Rice Pudding Samosas.  The four samosas were filled with cardamom and ginger flavoured rice pudding, and deep fried producing a crisp outer pastry, and soft creamy filling. They were complemented with the passion fruit sorbet they were served with. Rich chose Cheese and Biscuits. These were locally sourced Cotswold cheeses, served with biscuits, celery, grapes and an apple & date chutney.

We were really impressed with the quality and range of the food available at The Gardeners Arms. The staff were really helpful and friendly, and we didn’t feel rushed into ordering our food. Children are welcome at The Gardeners Arms, and I was pleased to see a children’s menu (including homemade fish fingers and pizza) as I would love to come back again with the girls. Dogs were also welcome, which makes The Gardeners Arms a great pub to visit at the end of a walk on Winchcombe or Wychavon Ways.

You can find out more about The Gardeners Arms, including their menus, on their website.

Disclaimer: We were invited to The Gardeners Arms and were given a main course and a drink each in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are our own, and I would thoroughly recommend a visit here.