Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085502.716.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152295" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085502.716.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085502.716-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085502.716-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085502.716-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>&#8216;Quintessential country pub&#8217; neatly sums up Stoke Row&#8217;s <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-cherry-tree-inn-henley-on-thames/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cherry Tree Inn</a>, from the exterior, the food and the welcome, to the landlord&#8217;s basset hound slumbering by the fire. The red brick wisteria-covered pub sits in a large garden in the middle of this pretty south Oxfordshire village and is graced with not one but several cherry trees from which it gets its name. </p>



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1440" height="1791" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row-.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-152413" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row-.jpeg 1440w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row--643x800.jpeg 643w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row--804x1000.jpeg 804w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row--322x400.jpeg 322w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row--1235x1536.jpeg 1235w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Inn-Stoke-Row--422x525.jpeg 422w" sizes="(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px" /></figure>



<p>The Cherry Tree Inn has been running as a pub (yes, set in a cherry orchard) since 1830 and it shows &#8211; it&#8217;s oozing with personality as a proper British pub should, and as you step into the bar area it&#8217;s all about the beams across the ceiling, the roaring fire and the time-worn bar adorned with a large jar of pickled eggs. If you can nab the table by the fire for a drink before your meal, you have the best seat in the house with a view across the bar and out of the window through the cherry trees. </p>



<p>The furniture throughout the pub has character, all mismatched antique oak with leather topped bar stools and upholstered seat chairs atop antique rugs. It has an olde worlde feel but without the clutter &#8211; it&#8217;s rustic, welcoming and charming. On the cold autumn day we visited, the dining area where we sat was kept toasty by a woodburner in the large inglenook fireplace &#8211; request this room if you feel the cold!</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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085442.802.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152296" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085442.802.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085442.802-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085442.802-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085442.802-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Alternatively there&#8217;s the more airy and light dining area on the other side for bright, milder days. That&#8217;s the joy of this place &#8211; you never feel like you&#8217;re in a big clattery restaurant, but rather these intimate spaces each with a distinct feel. Then there&#8217;s the vast garden outside for sunny days, with plenty of room for big groups and families as well as vintage tractors for the kids to climb on.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCOFF &amp; QUAFF</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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T090019.257.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152297" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T090019.257.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T090019.257-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T090019.257-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T090019.257-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The menu here focuses on seasonality and provenance &#8211; two passions of landlord Dan Redfern, who also tends the market garden you see on the way in (it bears a board showing which produce currently features on the menu). November being a quiet month for harvesting, it was impressive to see quite a bit from the garden on the menu including squash, Brussel sprouts and chillies. Local meat and bread were also the stars, including partridges (so fresh that the latest delivery arrived while we were having lunch in the arms of the man who&#8217;d just shot them), pheasant and bread from Imma The Bakery, a few yards from the pub&#8217;s front door. We started with a board of its bread with confit garlic and whipped butter and a bowl of padron peppers. All artfully arranged and tasty.</p>



<p>Our group started with two items from the daily specials &#8211; kimchi fritters, vegan &#8216;sprunion&#8217; (spring onion) mayo, nasturtium, coriander and fresh chilli (from the garden); and the pan-fried diver-caught king scallops, celeriac and truffle purée with celeriac and apple; plus the spicy Thai chicken salad, radicchio, coriander, red pepper, home-grown chilli, char-grilled pineapple and Thai dressing. </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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085657.918.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152298" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085657.918.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085657.918-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085657.918-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085657.918-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Asian dishes are a speciality of the chef and it shows &#8211; the latter dish was superbly fragrant and fresh, and the mayo with the fritters had a kick to it to balance the batter. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the celeriac and apple a refreshing foil to their richness.</p>



<p>Mains went down just as well &#8211; the roasted pheasant breast and leg with truffle celeriac, roasted parsnip, home-grown Brussels, potato dauphinoise and pheasant red wine jus, was artfully arranged on the plate &#8211; not easy for a dish in a lot of shades of brown and green. It was cooked tender and was delicious, but it&#8217;s a filling, rich plate of food so best saved for a hungry day. </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/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Stoke-Row-food-Sunday-roast-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152415" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Stoke-Row-food-Sunday-roast-.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Stoke-Row-food-Sunday-roast--800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Stoke-Row-food-Sunday-roast--400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Cherry-Tree-Stoke-Row-food-Sunday-roast--788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>The pheasant</figcaption></figure>



<p>There were plenty of lighter dishes on the menu &#8211; my main of Cornish monkish with roasted red pepper, samphire and new potatoes was also cooked just right. The home-grown butternut squash risotto, toasted pumpkin seeds and vegan parmesan was delicious. It was cooked Milanese style and was uniform in texture, so those hoping for chunks of roasted root veg would be disappointed. You couldn&#8217;t fault the flavour though.</p>



<p>Somehow we found room for pud and went with the recommendations of sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce and salted caramel ice cream and Belgian waffle, chocolate sauce and honeycomb ice cream (the lightest option on there was the vanilla panna cotta). Both were indulgent and tasty but not stodgy, though nevertheless warranted a lengthy country walk (or cycle ride), of which more below. </p>



<p>There was a good choice of local ales on tap, as you&#8217;d expect in this area with its battalion of breweries, and the wine list was decent with 13 wines by the glass and four &#8216;stickies&#8217; (pudding wines) &#8211; here&#8217;s to losing track of time and settling in by the fire. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUT &amp; ABOUT</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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085607.937.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152301" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085607.937.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085607.937-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085607.937-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T085607.937-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>This is prime walking country with footpaths, woodland and nature reserves galore and the pub features a cracking <a href="https://thecherrytreeinn.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IFootpath-Walk.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four-mile circular route</a> on its website, which takes in the gorgeous beech woodland that&#8217;s typical of the Chilterns as well as the village&#8217;s unusual landmark, the Maharaja’s Well. The Cherry Tree Inn has also installed two e-bike chargers out front, making it a perfect stop for cyclists (including those who need a bit of e-help on those punishing Chilterns&#8217; hills). If your garb is more plus fours than lycra, then the highly regarded Huntercombe Golf Club is less than three miles down the road, or for some stately action, the National Trust&#8217;s Grey&#8217;s Court, with its pretty gardens and woodland is a few minute&#8217;s drive away.</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/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T091012.921.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-152303" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T091012.921.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T091012.921-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T091012.921-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/11/Untitled-design-2023-11-14T091012.921-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The best kind of English pub &#8211; plenty of tradition and charm, but not stuck in the last century in terms of food (with vegan and gluten-free options available!), drinks and the warm welcome.</p>



<p><strong>Good for: </strong>This would be a great pitstop for walkers and cyclists but also a winning destination for groups and families thanks to its broad offering and hearty food but with enough flair to please the foodies of the group.</p>



<p><strong>Not for: </strong>If you&#8217;re looking for a chance to dust off your LBD, this probably isn&#8217;t the place. While it would work for an intimate table for two, it&#8217;s not high on the glamour factor &#8211; especially once one of the regular&#8217;s dogs has brushed up on your opaque black tights (though there is a cocktail menu if it&#8217;s that kind of night). </p>



<p><strong>The damage: </strong>Starters cost £8-£14, while mains are £14-£30, with baguettes available for a quicker lunch option 12-3pm Mon-Sat.</p>



<p><em><a href="https://thecherrytreeinn.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cherry Tree Inn</a>, Stoke Row Rd, RG9 5QA.</em></p>


Review: The Cherry Tree Inn, Stoke Row

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