Katherine MacAlister follows the trail of a favourite landlord to his latest country pub restaurant

It was a dream coupling, one of my favourite landlords taking on a pub with enormous potential and in need of a bit of TLC. It was akin to Posh meeting Becks or Kate catching the eye of Wills.

It was a gift from heaven for foodies and I was at the front of the queue when news reached me that Jamie Fletcher, who has made such a good job of running The Star in Woodstock, had taken over at this rather dilapidated pub.

I had popped into The George and Dragon over the summer and eaten a lovely smokie of haddock in cheese sauce, but felt the owners were missing a trick with such a beautiful thatched pub; its vast garden shouting out for families to visit.

Jamie has been scrubbing the decks for the past few months, getting it ready for opening, installing a former chef from Kirtlington Golf Course and putting his culinary stamp on the place.

Which is why I recognised the menu on arrival in the soothing green dining room.

The word is already out, judging by the full car park on Tuesday night, so it was lucky we’d booked.

Jamie’s British tapas menu and the Jack Shack burger selection were both in situ.

Head chef James Brooks says, after a long debate, they decided to mirror some of the menus, so regulars from The Star and sister pub The Flowing Well in Sunningwell would know what to expect.

It meant, however, that having dined at The Star on Saturday, we had to choose carefully. I opted for the £5.95 soup of the day; a delicious roasted tomato and thyme with lovely, chewy, rustic rolls (no butter packs please). The others choosing a scattering of tapas dishes: pigs in blankets, lovely oily prawns with chorizo, and smoked mackerel pate on slices of toasted french bread.

Specials included a chive potato pancake with a crispy poached egg, creamed spinach and hollandaise sauce (£11.95), which had my name on it, sparking much debate about how you produce a crispy poached egg. Our waiter went to investigate and it seems it is poached and breaded, then deep-fried, to be lovely outside and oozing with yolk when cut into.

The pancakes were not the french crepes I was expecting but more of a Russian offering, delicate rather than stodgy and beautifully seasoned, but still rather filling.

Another special – slow roasted pork belly, fondant potato, purple sprouting broccoli with apple puree and cider jus (£13.95) – was also brilliantly executed, the pork served like a Mr Kipling slice, a wedge of perfectly cooked meat framed by the circular fondant potato and trimmings.

The Cajun salmon salad came with a ranch dressing, the fish seared and cooked just right. We had brought our neighbours, who were regulars there for years, and we were all impressed.

The puddings, though. The puddings! Mine jumped out at me from the moment I arrived; rhubarb brulee with pistachio and chocolate biscotti. A huge portion of goodness even I couldn’t finish. The banoffee pie cheesecake kept Mr Greedy quiet for a good 10 minutes, arriving in a timbale with whipped cream, and the crumble of the day (£5.95), an apple and vanilla, was magnificent.

Three courses, each with drinks (a great house Shiraz at £14.95 a bottle) was about £35 a head. I can’t wait for summer and the garden to be opened.

George and Dragon,
133 Main Road, Long Hanborough, Witney, 
Oxfordshire OX29 8JX