Claire Alexander reflects on Killingworth Castle's award-winning first year

In December we celebrated our first birthday at The Killingworth Castle. And as with any newborn we had the bags under our eyes to match its rollercoaster first year.

We’ve been seriously bowled over by the support and awards we’ve received.

In October we won the coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand (one of only nine new UK pubs), two AA rosettes and were included in The Telegraph’s Top 500 UK eateries. We’ve been shortlisted for “Newcomer of the Year” at The Morning Advertiser’s Gastropub of the Year Awards but perhaps the best Christmas present of all is being crowned The Oxford Times’ Restaurant of the Year. This is especially welcoming as we are a pub first and foremost and strive to retain our pub at the very heart of its village, Wootton by Woodstock.

Food prices have risen 12 per cent over the past six years yet Michelin’s criteria of an “affordable meal for under £28” remains the same. It’s great to be rewarded for value in these austere times.

The Killingworth Castle was more Killingworth Ruin when we bought it, with trade having not so much dwindled but disappeared off the face of the planet. The awards and press have speeded up word of mouth and it’s brilliant to see a constant sea of new faces among our regulars. Pubs really are like kids, easier second time round but you still can’t take your eye off the ball (we also run The Ebrington Arms near Chipping Campden).

In the New Year we’ve got new brown and white signs from Oxfordshire County Council and plans for en suite letting bedrooms. Apparently only one million of the nine million Oxford tourists each year stay overnight – a trend in need of bucking and if we were a good enough destination for Churchill, no doubt we can attract Blenheim tourists and shooting parties again! All this good news is tempered with cashflow worries facing many small businesses in the dreaded winter when snow to our trade is about as welcome as the January credit card bill.

I support the reduced VAT campaign for pubs and restaurants (five per cent). We collect 20 per cent because our food is put on a plate, unlike supermarkets that avoid this tax meaning pubs can’t compete. Half a pub’s turnover and two thirds of every pint is tax.

In European countries with a five per cent rate, the industry has been stimulated and tax generated from extra jobs more than covers the reduction. So we have a lot to talk to Mr Cameron about over his next beer. We’re brewing two of our own beers now – Yawnie brown ale and Yubby Bitter with a third in trial stages. Rest assured you won’t be seeing them in any supermarket soon, only available in our pubs. Needless to say the customer who recently politely enquired as to when he could buy our beer in Tesco was lucky to escape a somewhat less polite barring… Thanks for your support of The Killingworth Castle and a Happy New Year to all. It’s going to be a belter.

TRY IT
The Killingworth Castle, Glympton
Road, Wootton.
Call 01993 811401, email reservations@thekillingworthcastle or see thekillingworthcastle.com