The Best Country Pubs in Buckinghamshire

The country pub: a staple of every quintessential British village. For us, top marks if it's on a village green and even better if it has a perfect mix of comfy sofa seating and more formal restaurant space. But, before we get into our checklist for the perfect country pub, why do we care so much?

Since 2018, the Home County Co. has set out to tell the stories of Britain's most beautiful places through fragrance. Essentially, we make candles that smell like your favourite counties, and how could we do that without first scouring the length and breadth of the United Kingdom to immerse ourselves in the culture of each of the counties we've created fragrances for?!

Now of course, it was important to visit Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire and the Cornish coast - but what was the common denominator on every trip? Finding the perfect pub for a refreshing pint of cider and a bite to eat of course! All in the name of research, after all.

Over the years it feels as though the Home County Co. has almost been shaped by those visits to great country pubs - it's where we started our first brainstorms and where we would inevitably end up after our canal walks in Tring to flesh out our brand strategy and come up with our very best ideas.

Being Buckinghamshire born and bred, and with our warehouse based here, what better place to start with our series of our favourite country pubs?

So, without further ado, let's dive into our shortlist of our 3 favourite country pubs in Buckinghamshire...

The Old Thatched Inn, Adstock

You always know it's a great pub when the only way anyone has heard of a village is because of the pub.

With the Old Thatched Inn in Adstock (a small village of around 400 people), that's because people travel far and wide for their amazing food. The perfect place for special celebrations, or just a great bite to eat, their menu changes every 3 months with the seasons and their Sunday roasts are to die for. In the summer the conservatory is a great place for groups, or for al fresco dining they have a selection of tables on their terraced area. But really, this is a pub that comes into its own in the winter - beautiful low ceilings, exposed beams and roaring log fires make for the perfect escape from the colder weather.

A special shoutout also to Landlord Andy, who has been at the helm for some 20+ years and seems to possess a special talent for names and faces - recognising punters who may not have visited for years, and always there with a warm welcome, giving the Old Thatched Inn a real family-run feel.

VISIT THE WEBSITE

The Crown, Cuddington

A multi-award winning "Best Kept Village" in Buckinghamshire, Cuddington is best known for its thatched cottages, immaculate gardens, and beautiful country pub.

Now, this might just be personal preference, but we love a pub with a great lunch menu. Call us crazy, but we don't always fancy a leg of lamb at lunchtime, so anywhere serving a brilliant selection of sandwiches and light bites during the day will always have our heart.

Top marks for a warm bacon, brie and cranberry doorstop sandwich and chunky chips! We can never resist stopping off at The Crown when we're passing, and their outdoor seating is a must in the summer months.

VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

The Old Swan, Cheddington

Another beautiful thatched pub (we seem to have a thing for thatch!), The Old Swan in Cheddington is the perfect mix of traditional and fun.

Hosting quiz nights, cider festivals and live music, this is a real community pub that welcomes guests with open arms. With great food and an even better selection of cocktails and flavoured ciders, we often frequented The Old Swan when our warehouse was located just around the corner.

In fact, this was the location of many of our first business brainstorms, so we'll always have very fond memories there!

VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

Our checklist for the perfect quaint country pub...

Cosy sofa seating
A great selection of ciders (apple for Oli, flavoured for Hannah - the sweeter the better!)
Posh crisps - our favourites are ham and mustard or chorizo#
Outdoor seating in the summer and roaring fires in the winter
A lunch menu of sandwiches and light bites
Original features are a must!

So there you have it - but what we want to know is, which Buckinghamshire pubs did we miss off our list?! Let us know and we may just have to pay them a visit - all in the name of research of course...