Revamped Cat and Fiddle pub in Hinton aiming to be best in the country

THE general manager of the newly revamped Cat & Fiddle pub at Hinton has declared he wants the venue to be “the most loved country pub in the area”.

Having been shown around the venue and seeign first hand the results of the £2.4m makeover, I came away thinking that it could certainly be in the running for taking the title.

Anyone visiting the 400-year-old pub who is familiar with how it used to look is in for a big surprise. As manager Tom Learmont says: “It had not had a lot of love for years.”

Now stepping through the doors, visitors will find a pub where country meets contemporary, with a stylish interior that still manages a homely feel.

An impressive conservatory leads out onto a garden room, where heaters serve to keep customers toasty on cooler evenings. There are also two outdoor seating areas.

The revamp is impressive and modern, but the pub – believed to be one of the oldrest in England - still retains the charm of the old Cat & Fiddle.

“We want everyone to feel welcome here,” said Tom. “Singles, couples, families, even dogs.”

Until it was taken over by Vintage Inns the pub had been operating as a Harvester and had become run down. Hugely popular with locals and holidaymakers alike for decades, it had started to look quite forlorn until Vintage set out to make it their flagship pub in the area.

Tom, who has worked for the company for seven years, says proudly: “One of the directors of the company visited this week and told me this is the best Vintage pub around here, so that’s straight from the horse’s mouth.”

Complimenting the new look is a fantastic menu, created under the direction of head chef John King who has been with Vintage for 12 years.

Tom says: “John is fantastic and his team are awesome. Our menu is aimed at offering a little bit of everything.

“We serve pub classics like steak and mushroom pie and beer-battered fish and chips through to pizza, alongside seasonal surprises and very special dishes such as duck confit.

“One exciting concept is our ‘sticky’ platters which are for people to share. They are put on a little stage in the middle of the table so everyone can dive in.”

The pub also features a high-tech machines wich keep champagne bubbly until the last drop, and a special two bore pipe tap for its draught beer which, according to Tom, gives it a “perfect” head.

Plans are afoot to host birthday parties and other celebrations in various spaces within the building, including a private dining room and the conservatory.

The pub also boasts a new sign, which has caused a fair amount of controversy locally because it features justa cat and not the accompanying fiddle as the old one did.

Tom explained: “The old sign was not actually a carved wooden one. It turned out to be just a paper one inside a glass frame.

“As the pub had been given such an extensive revamp we felt the sign should have one to. But we have preserved this fabulous wooden carving above one of the doors which shows a cat dancing along to a fiddle.”

The Cat & Fiddle has a rich history. In the 11th century it was a hospice run by the monks of Christchurch Priory, and in the 19th century it became the meeting place of smugglers and highwaymen.

The pub will be open from 9am to 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays and from 11.30am until 11pm on weekdays.