Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223106.232.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145682" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223106.232.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223106.232-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223106.232-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223106.232-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/peterley-manor-farm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peterley Manor Farm </a>has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a derelict poultry farm 30 years back to what it is now &#8211; a thoroughly gorgeous destination with a farm shop, pick your own, nursery, Christmas tree farm, and &#8211; most recently &#8211; a bricks &#8216;n mortar café. It&#8217;s not quite the Burford of Bucks (more tractors, less white trainers) but you get the vibe. <a href="https://peterleymanorfarm.co.uk/cafe/">The Barn Kitchen</a> opened in 2021 on the back of the success of a smaller café in a yurt, which now hosts yoga, private events and workshops. It&#8217;s Katy Brill&#8217;s baby, one of the two daughters of the original farm owners who&#8217;s come back alongside her sister Pip to take over the family business. As a chef she&#8217;s brought her take on contemporary seasonal food &#8211; this most definitely isn&#8217;t a jacket-potatoes-and-scones kind of garden centre café, and Katy is also introducing more evening events with an eye on attracting a younger crowd with cocktails, sharing platters, workshops and wine tasting.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223215.404.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145683" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223215.404.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223215.404-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223215.404-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223215.404-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The interiors have a contemporary feel to them &#8211; bright, airy, open and textural with bare brick, corrugated metals, salvaged mismatched wood and polished concrete all giving an industrial feel and a nod to the building&#8217;s past life as a tractor shed. There&#8217;s glamour too though (definitely a touch of Soho Farmhouse as inspiration) with green jade herringbone tiles, cartwheel chandeliers and quirky art, plus, naturally a framed Muddy award in the hallway (the Barn Kitchen scooped national winner of Best Café in the Muddy Awards 2022).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223424.400.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145684" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223424.400.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223424.400-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223424.400-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223424.400-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The capacity is doubled by the outside eating area that&#8217;s part under cover and surrounds an elegant fire pit that looks like a huge lantern, making this space useable in the shoulder seasons as well as on hot days. There&#8217;s a separate outdoor kitchen here (running May-Sept), which takes on the pizza cooking and &#8216;field kitchen&#8217; grilled menu. With the gravelled floor, rattan and zinc furniture and planters of lavender and mint this area takes on an almost Provence air, especially when the sun is shining as it was on my visit. Shame I was driving and couldn&#8217;t complete the scene with a glass of rosé.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223404.186.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145685" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223404.186.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223404.186-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223404.186-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223404.186-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The place was bustling with groups of friends and families dining out for lunch as well as couples, and lots taking advantage of the dog friendly policy. Around three quarters of the tables were full &#8211; not bad going for a mid-week lunch slot. The staff kept up well with the orders, knew the menu and provenance well and were upbeat and attentive, adding to the buzz of the place.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</h2>



<p>The idea here is that many plates are sharing and you don&#8217;t order in courses, but just enjoy the food as it comes (cue sharp intake of breath from the trad crowd). Ours came with the small plates first then the flatbread and &#8216;field kitchen&#8217; dishes, which worked well and we were sharing anyway &#8211; it all looked too good not to try it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223154.128.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145686" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223154.128.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223154.128-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223154.128-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223154.128-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The wood fired cauliflower with romesco, chimchurri and toasted seeds was enticing with bright, fresh colour to it and the sauce deliciously smoky. The Isle of Wight tomato bruschetta likewise was tangy and fresh &#8211; it&#8217;s an example of the seasonal cooking here. Take the asparagus dish, served with a white bean salad, capers and salsa verde, which is only offered for the six or so weeks that it&#8217;s harvested from nearby Rectory Farm.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223232.812.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145687" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223232.812.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223232.812-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223232.812-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223232.812-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>We followed this up with the BBQ king prawn skillet with Chiltern &#8216;nduja butter and grilled rosemary foccacia, a rich and salty dish with prawns perfectly cooked &#8211; yum. Then the asparagus flatbread with ricotta, rocket pesto, mozzarella and wild garlic. This was herby, fresh and crisp, a perfect foil to the prawns and much of it locally sourced including the wild garlic foraged by Katy herself.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223311.567.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145688" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223311.567.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223311.567-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223311.567-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223311.567-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The desserts, all made on site, were all cakey with the exception of crème brûlée, but any disappointment at this lack of range was rapidly swept aside on discovering the quality of the cake on offer. The cherry and pecan brownie was rich and well balanced with the fruit, while the carrot, coconut and pistachio cake with rose water icing was fragrant and just sweet enough. By chance both happened to be vegan and gluten free and you&#8217;d never have known &#8211; a marker of seriously skilled baking. Such is the skill of the pastry chef that he&#8217;s recently turned his hand to macarons, which are now on sale in the farm shop. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUT &amp; ABOUT</h2>



<p>Step out of the Barn Kitchen and you have the farm shop, nursery and footpaths galore setting out from the farm. In fact, two horse riders ambled past the café while we had our lunch, a stone&#8217;s throw from our table, and clearly it&#8217;s a hit with the dog-walking crowd. Further afield there&#8217;s High Wycombe, with the NT property <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/hughenden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hughenden</a>, Benjamin Disraeli&#8217;s former country house, and the infamous Hellfire Caves. Meanwhile if you have littlies in tow, Beaconsfield has the <a href="https://www.bekonscot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bekonscot Model Village &amp; Railway</a> and the other side of Chalfont St Giles is the <a href="https://coam.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chiltern Open Air Museum</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223335.127.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-145689" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223335.127.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223335.127-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223335.127-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/Untitled-design-2023-05-23T223335.127-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Katy Brill and sister Pip chat to staff at the bar</figcaption></figure>



<p>A chic and contemporary café where every detail has been thought through from the interiors, to the music and the menu, and with provenance and seasonality high on the agenda.</p>



<p><strong>GOOD FOR:</strong> A beautiful and buzzy space that&#8217;s perfect for working lunches, meet-ups with friends or family or even a special occasion, given the quality of the cooking and gorgeous surrounds (plus it&#8217;s licensed!).</p>



<p><strong>NOT FOR: </strong>The interiors and food are very much geared up to a slightly younger dynamic than your average farm shop café and while the chef is very obliging, this isn&#8217;t the right place for your cheese sarnies and scones crowd. </p>



<p><strong>THE DAMAGE:</strong> Small plates from £5, salads from £15, grilled dishes like burgers and skillets, from £15 and flatbreads from £13. Cake around £5.50 a serving.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://peterleymanorfarm.co.uk/">Peterley Manor Farm</a>, Peterley Lane, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 0HH. Tel: <a href="tel:441494863566">01494 863 566</a></em>.</p>



<p></p>


Muddy reviews: The Barn Kitchen, Peterley Manor Farm

You may also like