Katherine MacAlister dines at a much prized restaurant where the local residents are very much in on the secret

There’s nothing like a few awards to spur us critics into grabbing our coats and racing out of the door. The Thatch in Thame has been greedy, not only being named runner-up in Best Restaurants, Best Sunday Lunch and Best Place to Drink in the south by the Observer Food Monthly, but also winning a Best Employers in Hospitality award. Which proves that not only are the staff raising their game but enjoying themselves too. How dare they!

We know how good it is. Didn’t we say so back in 2009 but since then the chefs have been cooking consistently to keep The Thatch firmly on the gastro pub map, which warranted another visit.

I was still surprised to find it rammed on a Friday lunchtime, and had I not booked a table would not have got in for love, money nor anything else.

The locals are already in on the secret, because there was a vibrant, bustling, relaxed feel to the pub/restaurant. People were excited to be there, delighted to have nabbed a table. But there was also a wonderful communal feel, giving the distinct impression that while visitors are tolerated, it’s the community who enjoy The Thatch most. Lucky them.

But then it’s a Peach pub, part of The Fishes, James Figg and The Fleece stable, so although Peach is slowly but surely spreading throughout the country with venues now in Bedford, Sussex and Birmingham, 16 in total, The Thatch remains one of its stalwarts and Oxfordshire its beating heart.

All that hurtling had made me hungry and opening the menu didn’t help, making my tummy rumble even more, being packed with juicy salads, soups, tasty sandwiches, its famous ‘boards’, British staples like fish and chips or sausage and mash, all elbowing each other to get noticed in a scrum of appetising dishes.

We started with a moreish thick, wintery butternut squash soup of the day (£5) which stopped my hunger pangs dead in their tracks.

But it was the haddock smokey with brown bread and butter (£7.50) which grabbed my heart with both hands and shook it, the promise of a cheesy, grilled fishy Welsh Rarebit being more than my starving senses could cope with.

My friend opted for the more body-friendly superfood salad of broccoli, pumpkin, feta, Puy lentils, toasted seeds, orange and shallot dressing (£12.75) which arrived as a colourful, juicy, zesty collaboration as if the chefs were determined to prove that healthy didn’t mean boring and joyless.

As for the smokey, it wasn’t what I had hoped for, being sweeter than I expected with diced peppers being included in the mix which disturbed the essential base notes of salty fish and cheese for me. Don’t mess with the classics.

Pudding thawed the cockles of my heart however with a wonderful crème brûlée and lemon shortbread (£6) and a nibble of my friend’s cheese board.

As the conversation continued around us, and head chef Tom Upham’s audience lapped us his food, I had to admit, The Thatch has still got it.

The Thatch, 29-30 Lower High Street, Thame
01844 214340
thethatchthame.co.uk