Bucks &amp; Oxon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-crazy-bear-roars-back">THE CRAZY BEAR ROARS BACK</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/3/2025/01/CRAZYBEAR.jpg" alt="Crazy Bear" class="wp-image-181457" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/CRAZYBEAR.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/CRAZYBEAR-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/CRAZYBEAR-400x266.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Bring out the Champers because the Crazy Bear is roaring back, baby. It&#8217;s been a wild time for this luxury local hotel group recently – you&#8217;ll remember it went into administration over Christmas and has been looking for a buyer to get it back on its feet.</p>



<p>Well, call off the search because three white knights have charged in to take over the group: managing director Tom Etridge and executive director Richard Booth plus a third, mystery, investor. Meanwhile, former owner Jason Hunt has exited stage left, taking the group&#8217;s debt with him and some of the property assets (including The Garden House at the Stadhampton hotel). </p>



<p>Now The Bear is back on its feet, the team are cooking up big plans for its boutique hotels at Stadhampton and Beaconsfield. At Stadhampton, a new restaurant, called Oak, will launch imminently, and chef Carlo Scotto is set to launch his chef&#8217;s table and tasting menu at Beaconsfield in April (fingers crossed). Obvs Muddy will be first through the door to test them out, so watch this space.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-west-wycombe-is-to-die-for">WEST WYCOMBE IS TO DIE FOR</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="907" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/HellfireCaves.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-166384" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/HellfireCaves.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/HellfireCaves-800x726.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/HellfireCaves-400x363.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Anyone who lives in these parts knows our gorgeous countryside is to die for – so it&#8217;s perhaps only fitting that the makers of the BBC&#8217;s crime drama <em>Silent Witness</em>, starring Emilia Fox as forensic psychologist Dr Nikki Alexander, chose West Wycombe as a filming location. The crew shot a scene for the latest series at the notorious Hellfire Caves and Mausoleum, where there&#8217;s a grisly discovery: the body of an elderly woman has been dumped there. The episode aired on TV earlier this month, and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0026l5k/silent-witness-series-28-1-exodus-2017-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here&#8217;s the iPlayer link</a> if you&#8217;re keen to tune in.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-cafe-incoming">COOL CAFE INCOMING</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="901" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/WESLEYWALK-901x1000.jpg" alt="Wesley Walk cafe" class="wp-image-181583" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/WESLEYWALK-901x1000.jpg 901w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/WESLEYWALK-721x800.jpg 721w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/WESLEYWALK-360x400.jpg 360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/WESLEYWALK.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 901px) 100vw, 901px" /></figure>



<p>Call off the search for the perfect oat milk latte. Oxford has a chic new caf<em>é</em> called No 14 Wesley Walk, which opened on 19 Jan on the ground floor of the historic Wesleyan School Science Building. It&#8217;s run by Ryan Humphrey (previously of The Carpenters Arms in Fulbrook), alongside his close friends Siobhan and Tom Addy. There are 50 covers inside and 20 more outdoors, and it&#8217;s open from 7.30am for breakfast and brunch &#8211; and a cheeky glass of vino. Caf<em>é</em>/pub hybrid? We&#8217;re in!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hello-smithy">HELLO SMITHY! </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="665" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/JAMES-CORDEN.png" alt="Superflash news James Corden" class="wp-image-181442" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/JAMES-CORDEN.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/JAMES-CORDEN-800x532.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/JAMES-CORDEN-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>He stole the nation&#8217;s hearts with the Gavin &amp; Stacey Christmas special, and now James Corden (aka Smithy) has another feather in his cap. He&#8217;s been given planning permission to build a mansion on the Templecombe House site on the Oxon/Berks border. Corden bought the existing property in the village of Remenham back in December 2020 for £8m, and now he has the green light to go ahead and build the home of his dreams. Hello new celeb neighbour!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-michelin-eats">MICHELIN EATS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="937" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/NATBERNEY.jpg" alt="Nat Berney The Lamb Inn Little Milton" class="wp-image-181562" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/NATBERNEY.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/NATBERNEY-800x750.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/NATBERNEY-400x375.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nat Berney at The Lamb Inn, Little Milton</figcaption></figure>



<p>Ping! An email arrives from The Michelin Guide with its new additions – and, naturally, our &#8216;hood is well represented. Chefs hats off to <a href="https://www.lambinnlittlemilton.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lamb Inn</a> at Little Milton near Oxford. It already holds two AA Rosettes, and its kitchen is run by the Michelin trained head chef Nat Berney, making it a shoo-in for its seasonal menu, carefully curated wine list and fabulous Sunday roasts. Also hotfoot it to fine dining restaurant <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/review-the-braywood-restaurant-maidenhead/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Braywood</a>, just over the Berks border in White Waltham. This younger sister to The Woodspeen has been open a mere two months, and already it has wowed the foodie crowd enough to earn its place in the Michelin Guide too. No surprises there, really. Head&nbsp;<a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/life/people/chef-sam-brennan-the-braywood-restaurant/">Chef Sam Brennan</a>‘s food packs some serious pizzazz. Don’t believe me? Just check out our latest <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/review-the-braywood-restaurant-maidenhead/">review</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-past-master">PAST MASTER</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/PuyDuFou.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-166292" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/PuyDuFou.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/PuyDuFou-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/PuyDuFou-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/PuyDuFou-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">@puydufou</figcaption></figure>



<p>Meanwhile, a top day out is zooming into view in Oxon. No, not a Sandro sale at Bicester Village, but a new theme park from French operator Puy du Fou, which reckons Cherwell is just the place for a bells-and-whistles attraction costing a cool £300 million. As well as giving the local economy a useful shot in the arm (2,000 new jobs, for starters), it’ll educate kids too, as Puy du Fou’s USP is historical-themed attractions. So, there’ll be no rollercoasters or flashing strobe lights. Boss Olivier Strebelle says we can expect similar shows-slash-immersive experiences to those at its Euro parks (think Joan of Arc, the Roman Empire, and the Vikings) &#8211; but with a&nbsp;<em>Grande Bretagne</em>&nbsp;vibe,&nbsp;<em>naturellement</em>. Tom Holland, co-host of <em>The Rest of History</em> podcast, is all in favour, so we&#8217;re keeping a keen eye out for when the plans are submitted in the summer.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-quackers-at-the-fat-duck">GO QUACKERS AT THE FAT DUCK</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/FATDUCK.jpg" alt="Fat Duck" class="wp-image-181577" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/FATDUCK.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/FATDUCK-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/FATDUCK-400x267.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Delice of Chocolate &amp; Galette of Rhubarb</figcaption></figure>



<p>And finally: after 20 whole years out of action, Heston’s&nbsp;<a href="https://thefatduck.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Fat Duck</a>&nbsp;in Bray is bringing back its legendary <em>à&nbsp;</em>la carte menu as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. Go quackers through the four starters, four mains and trio of puddings on offer, including several of Heston’s most iconic dishes, which are being served for the very last time. You may have to take out an extra mortgage though – the experience will set you back £225 per person. Worth it for snail porridge though?</p>


Superflash news! The Crazy Bear roars back – and hello Mr Corden

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