New owner and team for the Five Alls at Filkins.
If you’re looking for a weekend break, a night away or just a summer day out, Brakspear-owned Oxforshire village pub and restaurant with rooms, The Five Alls at Filkins, near Lechlade has announced the appointment of new owner, Tom Downing. Tom brings 20 years of experience in hospitality to the Five Alls, and previously ran The Crazy Bear Hotels and Restaurant for 12 years.
Tom moved to the Five Alls in February and since taking over has overseen the recent refurbishment of the pub’s nine rooms and public spaces. Tom is also working hard to re-establish the Five Alls reputation for excellent dining and warm hospitality.
“I’m so excited to be running this gorgeous place and am planning to put all those years of learning, experience and passion for my craft into delivering and exceeding guest expectations every time,” says Tom. “I’m also thrilled to be working alongside general manager, Robert Wilks. With over 15 years’ industry experience, Robert’s attention to detail and guest care is exemplary and with his help we’ll be providing a well-trained team who genuinely care and enjoy working at the Five Alls and have the ability to deliver guest satisfaction and value for money.”
Lying close to the Oxfordshire border with Gloucestershire, Five Alls sits at the heart of the picture-postcard village of Filkins. A beautiful and charmingly restored 18th century, ivy-clad Cotswold stone coaching inn and boutique retreat with nine rooms, Five Alls also retains its vital role as a cosy and welcoming village local.
Packed with history and character, the Five Alls offers a light and airy drinking area and behind the handsome Cotswold stone bar, an excellent range of 40 carefully selected bottles of wine, sparkling wines and champagnes, with 20 available by the glass, alongside an extensive selection of locally produced craft ales and guest beers. Bar snacks include Mac and cheddar cheese bites, crispy olives, popcorn chicken and homemade focaccia.
A further bar area lies on one side of an Alpine-style snug with leather sofa and chairs edging a huge inglenook fireplace with log fires burning daily during the winter months. This space leads to two light and airy, oak-beamed dining rooms seating up 100 with areas available for private dining.
Above the pub, four en-suite rooms with two Kingsize and two double bedrooms with a further five, cottage-style rooms, all en-suite, with super Kingsize beds, and all edging the rear garden with its suntrap terrace – a must for drinking and dining on warmer days.
Newly appointed head chef, Lucian Juganaru, is ensuring that his well-considered seasonally changing, à la carte and set menus celebrate the very best seasonal ingredients found locally and from around the UK, including fresh daily fish deliveries from Brixham, Devon.
The relaxed, buzzy atmosphere at Five Alls makes it ideal for families with children of all ages welcome to dine and stay. Extra beds for children are available and cost £20 per child.
Dogs are welcome in the bar and dining areas and there are two dog-friendly rooms for an extra £20 a night per dog, and which includes a happy dog hamper of duck bites, enrichment cards, adios poo bags and Earl Grey Hound (tea for dogs). Treats on the bar include rabbit, venison and boar chews.
Five Alls nine stylish and comfy bedrooms have just been given a refresh and are simply decorated in a calming neutral palette with pops of colour. Luxurious touches including crisp linen, duck down duvets and Bramley toiletries.
Other decorative elements include thick all-wool carpets, vintage furniture and travel trunks, local interest books and guides, Nespresso coffee machines, mini fridges and Roberts radios, while high-spec limestone tiled bathrooms feature luxurious, walk-in showers.
Five Alls characterful charm is enhanced throughout with sensitively restored original features such as rendered Cotswold stone walls, flagstone or oak floors, inglenook fireplace, exposed oak beams and Georgian sash windows, which complement the Cotswolds chic décor to create cosy, welcoming and stylish interiors.
On the doorstep, is historic mill, museum and shop, Cotswold Woollen Weavers where cloth in traditional patterns is produced on old looms. Nearby, Uffington’s White Horse and Iron Age Fort, Kelmscott Manor, once the home of William Morris, the Thames Path, Buscot Manor and chocolate-box Bibury. Oxford and Blenheim Palace are about 20 miles away.
Filkins is situated midway between the gorgeous Cotswolds village of Burford, with its fine high street and independent shops, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Burford Garden Centre, while Lechlade, also offers good, independent shopping and kayak hire for exploring the Thames or walking along the Thames Path.
The Five Alls Filkins, Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3JQ, UK, thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk
Reservations – 01367 860875, [email protected].