Claire and Jim Alexander run the Ebrington Arms near, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, and the Killingworth Castle in Wootton, Oxfordshire, which both received high praise from the AA rosette awards scheme and Michelin Guide.
The Ebrington Arms, which the couple have run for nearly 10 years, has been awarded two AA rosettes for the sixth year running.
Sister pub the Killingworth Castl, has retained its Michelin Bib Gourmand for the third year running and an AA rosette.
Testament
Claire expressed praise for her teams at the sites. She said: “It’s been a great week and testament to our brilliant staff over the years that we’ve managed to retain this standard of cooking.
“Our chefs Chris Ellis and Sonya Kidney do an amazing job with their teams, creating the perfect menus that incorporate exciting à la carte dishes and pub classics.”
The couple also brew three of their own beers and are hoping to start bottling their most popular ale, Yubby Bitter, just in time for Christmas.
Bar talk
Claire is a regular contributor to The Morning Advertiser’s Bar Talk column and has voiced her opinion on various topics.
One example of this is her thoughts on the new minimum wage levels which came into force last month (October).
She said that although the increase was a good idea in principle, it may do more harm than good to the pub trade.
The licensee also had her say on assets of community value and said the listings were great at keeping pubs open, but could be instigated by communities that don’t use their local.