Foodies will know all about The Olive Branch pub. Situated in the pretty village of Clipsham, the pub is housed in a building that dates back to 1890. It was in 1999 that it was bought back to life by three friends as a traditional village pub serving great food, wine and beer.

Today this multi-award winning pub is still headed up by Ben Jones who has made quite a name for himself because of his care and attention to detail. The kitchen is overseen by chef and owner Sean Hope. Through-out the year, he sources seasonal vegetables from their kitchen garden and the surrounding farms, estates, woodland and hedgerows to  inspire the kitchen team and develop new dishes.

Inside antique furnishings, quirky tables and chairs are mixed with pine kitchen tables and benches. The atmosphere is friendly and informal with chestnuts roasted on the fires in winter and homemade lemonade in the garden in summer.

Across the road, Beech House offers luxury accommodation in all its six room and is the perfect place to bed down after experiencing a memorable meal in the village pub.

In 2018 Beech House won the gong in the Muddy Awards for Best Boutique B&B in Leicestershire and Rutland and a year later they bagged the award for Best Pub and they’ve just been featured in the Top 50 UK gastropubs. How’s that for impressive?