The Stag and Huntsman at Hambleden

Nice room, management, staff and respectable dinner prepared with care in characterful and comfortable environment. Everything in our bedroom worked and provided a peaceful stay (except for some irritating unrestrained children). Breakfast however was very limited and of that available, expensive. No fruit, no yogurt, no cereals, toast, nuts etc. etc.

Best place I’ve ever stayed. Rooms and staff amazing. Garden is a lovely spot for a bit of lunch. Take a walk in the village there is a lovely river. The church is a very interesting place to visit. Josh is the best host I’ve had in a restaurant. He goes above and beyond.

We booked out the whole accommodation at The Stag & Huntsman for the Friday and Saturday of our daughter’s wedding weekend as the marriage was at Hambledon Church and the Reception at a nearby venue. It was magical - just as she had she had always imagined. Having booked a year in advance we were a little nervous in these uncertain times for pubs and restaurants but we had no need to be. Our meeting in June with the manager Marius put any concerns to rest - this was ‘standard operating procedure’ for the Team and Marius himself had only recently got hitched so he “felt our pain!” On the weekend itself Marius had been sadly called home to South Africa for a family emergency, but his wingman Leonard was fully briefed and couldn’t have been more attentive. We had pre-assigned the rooms and cottages which made the check-in seamless and Marius had ‘sorted’ the shared public car-park for us (which is irritatingly now pay and display resulting in cars parking for free everywhere in the otherwise stunning Hambledon village.) There were a couple of minor room issues which were immediately and professionally corrected. The cottages for the ‘Gorgeous Gang of Girls’ were perfect although our apologies to the village neighbours if the fun was shared a little too widely - we won’t make it a habit… On the Friday evening we hosted a dinner for 30 members of the Bride’s family and friends (plus two dogs) in the private dining room -and we will never forget it. We had pre-ordered from the Pheasant event menu - the Sea Bass and Steaks being the most popular. It was served beautifully by the young waiting staff - on time and piping hot for all. The 10oz steaks in a particular were large and juicy although of course they were - this place is run by South Africans! The deserts were huge but all the plates were scraped clean! Crumble & Custard and and Crème Brûlée being the most in demand. The included breakfast on Saturday was important as we all had a very long day ahead. The typical buffet was fine and the choice of cooked breakfast brilliant - from Full English to Smashed Avocado via Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg - this is no traditional B&B ! It kept us going until canapés at 3 pm. We had a few complicated room changes on Saturday as some were leaving and others arriving but it all worked seamlessly and the cleaning staff couldn’t have been more cooperative. The smaller cottage was to be used as a Bridal Suite that evening so we added a few decorations. It was a late night but we had all been briefed on the out of hours return procedures and other than some alcohol-induced stumbling all got back to their rooms safely! Sunday breakfast, check-out and billing again worked perfectly with only minor issues immediately corrected. We all left Hambledon on a huge high and the Stag & Huntsman certainly contributed greatly to that - thank you to Marius, Leonard and the Team. Your hawk-like focus on “getting the basics right” certainly pays off!