Four Bells Inn

The small village of Woodborough, just half an hour’s drive northeast from Nottingham, is a sought-after locale for those wishing to find respite in the Nottinghamshire countryside. Steeped in history, Woodborough naturally has a couple of pubs – just two, mind – and one of those is the acclaimed Four Bells Inn, a tavern that’s been up on the Main Street since at least 1762. A quarter of a millennium later, after changing hands many times and undergoing a thankfully sensitive and much applauded refurb, the Four Bells Inn is now an esteemed gastropub serving robust British food and, naturally, a stellar selection of drinks.

The Four Bells Inn’s Tudor facade is only the latest of a long series of facelifts that this venerable Nottinghamshire pub has undergone. The last major structural refit was completed in the 1930s, and 1999 saw the two rooms of the public house merged into one – a development that met with approval among Woodborough locals and Nottingham’s country pub connoisseurs. Now, under the stewardship of experienced restaurateurs and publicans Craig & Gaynor Smith, the Four Bells boasts a superb menu of gourmet British cuisine that befits its status as a classic pub, not to mention an outside barbecue area, kids’ play area, separate rooms for private dining and a wood-burning stove to keep the winter out.

The kitchen at the Four Bells Inn is helmed by chef Dan Burton, turning out lunches and dinners seven days a week. You can of course simply head up Woodborough Main Street and drop in for a quick pint of real ale and some bar snacks, a light lunch or a few small plates to share, but it’s the generously apportioned, rustic British meals and traditional Sunday roasts that bring the loyal in from nearby Nottingham. Ever-seasonal, the pub’s small allotment of fruit, vegetables and herbs supplements the locally-sourced produce that goes into the creation of dishes like the slow-cooked shin of beef stew served with Stilton and thyme dumplings and braised curly kale. For a vegetarian delight straight from the garden, go for the homegrown Jerusalem artichoke tart with Parmesan and glazed root vegetables. Having been voted the best pub in Nottingham in 2015’s Nottingham Post Food & Drink Awards, reservations are strongly recommended.