How do you like your eggs in the mornin'?

The early bird catches the worm... or in this case a whoppingly gorgeous breakfast at the Bathurst! We may be a bit biased, yes, but as quoted by one of our guests it was "mighty fine", which really does make us blush. (Though don't let this deter you from fanning in the compliments...) 

Why are our breakfasts so special? Why don't you have a look for yourself- We think it speaks for itself really! 

Because all our our produce is locally sourced (check out our blog posts on Scrubditch Farm and New Wave Seafood) and therefore super fresh, we think it would be pretty hard to find a yummier brekkie around town. Not only this but we do your breakfast just how you like it: poached or scrambled, we listen to exactly what you want, setting your day off to a cracking start.

If you're staying with us then our complimentary breakfast is included in the cost of the room and the eggs, meat and fish dishes are at an extra.

However, just because you may not have not booked a room definitely does not mean we wouldn't love to have you pop in for an early bite to eat! We will be there from 8am bright and early- good thing we're morning people! Look forward to seeing you soon.

Raging Bull: The story behind our new polos!

You don't have to be a genius to notice that the team at the Bathurst Arms have stepped up a gear and have invested in some pretty jazzy new polo shirts to ensure we look the part. What do you think?

Don't be fooled: these are not only polo shirts. These are Raging Bull polo shirts.

Started by one of the many legends of Rugby Union, Phil Vickery MBE in 2003, The Raging Bull takes its name from Vickery's nickname that he acquired from his rampaging around the pitch at Kingsholm for Gloucester rugby. 

Not only did Vickery cap for England 73 times, but he also captained England at the 2007 World Cup where they reached the final.

Seeing as at the Bathurst we are avid Gloucester fans we were super keen to get Raging Bull on board to sponsor our polo shirts. And thank goodness they agreed! Our logo appears next to theirs on the polos. Pretty smart, hey?

Phil Vickery photo courtesy of www.ragingbull.co.uk

Q + A with our FOH

Great food and a vibrant atmosphere can only get you so far if you’re trying to make it big in the pub world. We think that the staff play a really fundamental role when it comes to enjoying your time with us. That’s why we make sure that every member of the Bathurst team are not only bloomin’ fantastic at their job, but are also pretty cool too. Now we’ve bigged them up, it’s only really fair if we introduce you, right?

I present to you: James, Aisha and Ellie.

How long have you been working at the Bathurst?
J: Only the beginning of July
A: Two and a half years!
E: Just over a year

What’s your favourite dish on our menu?
J: I'd have to go for the burger or deep fried chicken- perfect comfort food
A: It's got to be the rump steak!
E: Definitely the burger with pineapple

What’s your roast of choice?
J: Roast Beef for sure
A: Lamb
E: Pork with extra crackling!

Bathurst pudding of choice?
J: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Ice cream and Toffee Sauce
A: Same for me- I'd always recommend it!
E: Strawberry Parfait

What’s your favourite part of the Cotswolds? 
J: I do a bit of the Monarch's way from time to time with my dog, Molly, as it's a nice little forest to walk through. I used to love taking Molly up past Itlay as a kid.
A: I love horse riding so being in the Cotswolds is ideal. There are so many beautiful walks and bridleways near North Cerney.
E: I love going to the Slaughters and the Cotswold Wildlife Park

Tell me the funniest memory of working at the Bathurst
J: I told the managers they couldn't have their steak rare thinking I was way ahead of the health and safety rules!
A: It's sort of this rule now that one of the members of staff always has to take Keith, our longest running local home after an evening at the pub so I drove him up the road with Ellie, another member of staff. Keith had just got a new cat named Magic and when Ellie went to open the front door he ran out! So our evening consisted of running around shouting 'Magic' to try to catch Keith's beloved cat!
E: None are really appropriate to disclose publicly!

Drink of choice?
J: Ramsbury is always my go-to
A: Fentiman's Rose Lemonade!
E: Same here

Best drink on a hot summers day/ cold winter evening?
J: For a cold winter when the fire is going and the pub is busy, you can't go wrong with a large glass of Shiraz!
A: Lime and Soda with a good hot chocolate in the winter
E: Rose Lemonade in summer. Apple juice and spiced rum in the winter

Favourite pub quiz team name?
J: Les Quizerables
A: Tequila Mockingbird

According to you, where is the best table in the pub and why?
J: I would always go for one of the booths round the corner to have a good chat with a friend
A: The corner table at the end of the bar by the window because you're still very much involved in the pub atmosphere
E: I agree with Aisha; it means you can also watch people through the window coming in and out!

Which local have you known the longest and how do you know them?
J: Keith- He's been present for nearly all of my birthdays insisting on a game of spoof!
A: It's got to be Keith!
E: General. But then again he's my dad!

Favourite dog visitor?
J: Am I cheating if I say my own dog, Molly?!
A: Kevin Bullock's Sandy the border terrier
E: Definitely agree with Aisha

Favourite pub playlist?
J: Best of British Punk
A: Any indie music!
E: A good mix of the Beatles and Johnny Cash

Which season is the best to come to Cirencester?
J: I think Cirencester can give a quintessential image of a countryside summer when the sun is out and the bunting strung up but also there's a lot to be said for the roaring fires and beautiful decorations running up to Christmas.
A: Summer as we have our Sunday BBQs!
E: Winter so you can see the Christmas market

Favourite sport?
J: I think my favourite sport to watch is probably rugby but I love doing cycle touring and recently just got into boxing too.
A: British Eventing (riding) of course!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
J: I've recently come back from six months in the Middle East and Caucasus but already eyeing up my next trip. I'd like to hike through Central America among the dense forests and the rich history.
A: Australia just so I could say I've been on the other side of the world.
E: Paris, probably my favourite city in the world.

Favourite book? Why?
J: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy is an old favourite: I remember being hooked on that at every opportunity.
A: It changes very frequently but at the moment it's Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn as I study Criminlogy at university and I love a good thriller!
E: Breakfast at Tiffanys: I absolutely hate the ending but in a weid way I like the fact that it's not your typical ending; nothing falls into place.

That's the infamous Keith in the middle!

Supplier: Severn Cider

How do you like your fruit? We certainly prefer it in the form of cider!

With the whole rest of August left to go we thought we'd throw another summer cider into the mix: the very local Severn Cider. With a full apple flavour and clean aftertaste, it's almost dangerously easy to drink !

Just around the corner in Awre, Gloucestershire quality fruits have been carefully picked and and transformed into cider for centuries by the Bull family through three generations. The reason this cider tastes so good you ask? Well the fruits are selected from traditional, vintage varieties and from heritage trees that have been conserved and propagated all of this time. Not only this but the Bulls have gone to the effort of harvesting the trees at different times of the year to ensure each variety is picked at it's peak.

Our landlords Graeme and Anita went along for a little tasting session and to find out what it's all about! Here is a snippet of their trip with Nick Bull.

If you'd like to find out more check out their website or their Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you if you've popped down to try it already!

Supplier: Cotswold Lavender

We're so so excited as we're starting to introduce new Cotswold Lavender products in our rooms at the Bathurst Arms! Have you been goggling at all those fab Cotswold lavender fields on Instagram thinking, where on earth do I find these filter-free fields?! Well you are just about to find out.

Based in the beautiful Cotswold hills near Broadway, this Cotswold Lavender farm produces over 35 different varieties of Lavender on around 90 acres of land, totalling a whopping 250,000 plants in total. The lavender is really thriving here due to the perfect soil conditions and as a result they are able to distill and produce some really great lavender products.
Their products range from essential lavender oils used in almost all of their skin care and cleansing range to dry lavender which can be used in lavender bags.

Run by Hannah, Charlie and their incredibly welcoming labrador Harvey, the Cotswold Lavender farm also boasts a wonderful tea room overlooking the Lavender fields and the Evesham Vale. Why not pop in to try out some of their lavender delights- or if you're feeling a little less adventurous you could always take some of the recipes home. We'd recommend going now before it's too late as the fields are in full bloom and looking wonderful.

We are so proud to live in the Cotswolds and genuinely think it's one of the finest British destinations. That's why we strive to buy from Cotswold-based suppliers wherever possible. The Cotswold Lavender Farm is definitely up there when it comes to high quality and natural produce. Not to mention it smells blooming divine. We are seriously looking forward to our first delivery and we know the guests are going to love the products too. We'll be sure to post some photos as soon as they arrive!

For more information click here to check out their website. Or here's their Facebook and Twitter page

Photo One courtesy of Cotswold Lavender website

Supplier: New Wave Seafood

Our fresh fish and seafood dishes are o-fish-ially some of the most popular on the menu (check out our Hake and Seabream photos on Instagram!).

For obvious reasons we humbly take credit for how divinely they are cooked but when it comes to the quality of the fish we have to give a big high five to New Wave Seafood- our fresh fish supplier. Based in the Cotswolds, New Wave Seafood supplies to over 500 loyal customers including 10 Michelin star restaurants so without a doubt we are seariously dealing with the best of the best- no squidding!

All of their fish and shellfish is sustainably caught from Britain's coastal waters, namely Devon, Cornwall and Scotland from small day-boats and fish auctions. The large range of fish from fresh lobster to halibut, salmon and scallops means we can regularly update and change our menu according to what's in season without worrying about sourcing it.

As you can probably tell from our last blog post on Scrubditch Farm, we choose our suppliers very carefully, making sure they comply with our sustainability regulations and support the local community. New Wave Seafood holds an MSC certified sustainable seafood badge and wherever possible they buy fish that has been line-caught by small boats in order to minimise their impact on the marine environment. In addition, they support the Responsible Fishing Scheme which recognises good practice in the fishing industry to ensure marine conservation.







Thanks to New Wave Seafood we can confidently say that you will not be disappointed if you try out some of our fish-ier dishes on the menu. Oh for God's hake, come try it out for yourself!

If you don't believe me why don't you check out their website for yourself: http://www.new-wave.co.uk/

Don't be koi why not have a natter with them over Facebook or Twitter ? From our experience they're a pretty chatty bunch who are just brill when it comes to knowing about life under the sea.

Supplier: Scrubditch Care Farm

One of our longest-standing and absolute favourite suppliers has to be Scrubditch Care Farm. Situated just a few miles away from the Bathurst, this family run business and registered charity welcomes regular students and children on school holidays to embark on farming projects. Equally, Scrubditch enables individuals with learning difficulties, challenging behaviour and mental health problems to improve their confidence, social skills and practical skills.

Students take part in all the practical aspects that are required to run a farm. From growing fruit and vegetables in the poly tunnel to looking after farm animals including the small flock of Wiltshire Horn Ewes, students are really integral to the success of this farm. They genuinely look forward to their experiences and benefit greatly from these projects.

Every Thursday our Scrubditch Farm crate arrives laden with fresh fruit and vegetables. We love supporting the local community and love even more that Scrubditch never fails to deliver the tastiest of local produce!

Why not check out their website: (http://www.scrubditchcarefarm.org.uk/), Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/scrubditchcarefarm?fref=ts) and Instagram account (@ScrubdtichCFarm) to find out more. We're a massive fan of their blog and hearing all about the farm's progress knowing that the best local produce is on its way to us on a Thursday morning!

Or alternatively, why not pop in to see us to try out some of our dishes yourself! Promise you'll be able to taste the difference...!

All photos courtesy of the Scrubditch Farm Facebook page