My dog and I frequently call into the Lords of the Manor, country hotel, in Upper Slaughter, for a light lunch when we are exploring the Cotswolds. We use it as a base if we are walking the section of the Warden’s Way which runs close to its grounds, linking the two Slaughters — Upper and Lower — which surely rate as the most picturesque unspoiled villages in the Cotswolds.

The dog loves the walk and I enjoy being spoiled when we call into the bar, even if I have only ordered a glass of beer and a bowl of soup. It is an idyllic 17th-century country retreat (formerly a rectory) that nestles in folds of its spacious garden. As the charming honey-coloured limestone hotel permits dogs to stay — and offers a dog-walking service for guests enjoying an overnight visit with their canine friends — it attracts me back time and time again, though until last week I had never stayed overnight.

Imagine my delight, therefore, when I was invited to join a group of food writers to taste this Michelin-starred hotel’s summer menu — and, yes, dog was invited too, although obviously he ate his dinner in our room. A Michelin-starred meal is about eating food cooked to perfection in a manner that permits the clean, crisp flavours of the original ingredients to shine through. In this case, the food was cooked by 35-year-old Matt Weedon and his brigade, who gained his Michelin star in 2009.

Matt’s secret is to make the most of the local ingredients, of which there are many. He says that his food will never lack flavour because he takes the best local ingredients, treats them simply and lets them do the talking. He is really enthusiastic about the ingredients he can source on his doorstep. Take his beef, for example. It is from rare breed Longhorn cattle and comes from a farm at Toddington, just five miles away. His lamb comes from Lighthorn Farm nearby and his pork from Kelmscott. His eggs are laid by Burford Browns, and several of his cheeses are created by Simon Weaver, using milk from a herd of organic Fresians just a mile away. Obviously his vegetables are grown locally.

The joy of dining at the Lords of the Manor begins long before you have your first dish placed before you. Even checking in is a delight, particularly when you turn to find your case has already been picked up by a smiling member of the staff, who pats the dog affectionately before showing you to your room.

Then there’s the glorious glassware in which your wine is served — it makes a slight ringing noise when tapped — the attractive little pots of olives and freshly-cooked vegetable crisps presented with the wine, and those wonderful starched white napkins that are opened for you as you settle in your seat.

My friends often laugh at me when I explain what joy such luxuries bring me on the few occasions I experience them.

It’s this striving for excellence and perfection, offering the customer little extras that they didn’t even realise that they needed until they arrive, that adds something rather special to the whole food experience at a Michelin-starred establishment such as this.

Our party was served a seven-course tasting menu which was concluded with handmade chocolates, wafer-thin croquants and the most glorious assortment of macaroons lovingly arranged in rainbow stripes of soft colours in a wooden box designed especially for them. We agreed that the egg yolk and truffled potato ravioli with wild mushrooms and artichoke was exceptional. It not only looked good, but tasted so scrumptious that every mouthful was savoured before taking the next.

Tasting menus offer the diner small portions of dishes that appear on the main menu. Matt admits he likes the dynamics of creating these little dishes and the challenges they set both him and his brigade. Matt is a quietly spoken chef — shy almost — certainly a chef who is happier in the kitchen than the limelight, though he does circle the tables at the end of the meal, speaking to the diners as he goes. He has worked here for three years.

As with so many chefs of distinction his introduction to the commercial kitchen began when he was young and took a job as a kitchen porter, working his way up the ladder, gradually learning his trade from those he worked alongside.

He won his first Michelin star at the Glenapp Castle Hotel, Ayrshire, and describes his cooking style as the lighter side of French. Given the local ingredients he sources, I would describe it as eating the view.

It proved such a wonderful experience I wanted to share with you all. If my Premium Bonds come up with a winner, I aim to take all my friends there for the night.