I want to let you into a secret: I’ve discovered a fabulous pub, with rooms, that’s really rather special. It’s called The Hoddington Arms and it’s tucked away in the heart of Hampshire countryside in a lovely village called Upton Grey (not far from Odiham).
The pub itself is an historic, Grade II listed building that’s had a full refresh after having to close temporarily earlier this year, due to a fire on the top floor.
It’s owned and run by husband-and-wife team Chris and Fallon Barnes alongside Head Chef Tom Wilson, and has earned consistent plaudits nationwide since opening.
Our Visit
On a swelteringly hot midweek afternoon we arrived and checked into one of the five modern rooms in an adjacent annexe called The Hideaway.
Our room was called Den and it was very cleverly designed to maximise space and comfort.
The bathroom had an enormous shower, and there are inset sensor lights in the walls to light your way to the loo in the dark without waking your companion.
Fresh milk and chilled water awaited us in the fridge, and the window overlooked a newly planted area which offers privacy – and in time will create a courtyard feel.
Dinner at The Hodd
A pre dinner drink in the garden was the perfect start to our evening.
I tried a delicious G&T with the local gin – Silverback (made by Gorilla Spirits, a company that donates 10% of profits to protect endangered mountain gorillas).
My husband very much enjoyed a 00 Cider locally made by Hydes.
We moved inside for our dinner and loved the quirkiness of the mismatched furniture, the exposed beams and ‘Farrow & Ball’ colourscheme.
The dining room was busy, but the tables were well spaced. I enjoyed a glass of Hattingley Valley English sparkling – a new one to me and very impressive. It was dry with a very fine mousse and good length in the mouth.
My husband was really peckish, so opted to try the Street Bakeshop Bread Board from the Nibbles section of the menu. Reader, it was massive! It had a range of breads, including walnut bread, and was accompanied by extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar as well as some really good butter.
I couldn’t resist the offer of Perello Gordal olives – deliciously large and piccante – and the perfect start.
Which brings me to the starters: Twice Baked Tunworth Cheese Souffle is apparently one of the signature dishes and it really appealed. My husband chose Cornish Cod Goujons.
My souffle was accompanied by a house pickled shallot and parmesan salad and a rich cheese sauce. The souffle was piping hot and the crunchiness of the salad offset the richness of the sauce perfectly.
The goujons…another incredibly generous portion, were served with curried mayonnaise, and a minted pea and tomato salad.
There is serious talent in the kitchen at The Hodd. Chris and Tom have kept the focus on much loved pub classics, traditional Hodd favourites, with an unwavering commitment to local, seasonal sourcing
My main course was Fried Seabass Fillet and it came with a warm salad of courgette, pea, green beans and cherry tomatoes, plus some delicious roast baby potatoes lined up like soldiers, and a smoked butter sauce. I’m not normally one who likes fish skin, but this was particularly good: well seasoned and really crispy.
The smoked butter sauce was the perfect pairing for such a delicate fish.
Sticking to the English wine theme, I enjoyed a glass of Danebury Schonburger which was the ideal fresh and light accompaniment for such a skilled dish.
My husband couldn’t resist the Stokes Marsh Farm 6oz flat iron steak. It was served with skinny fries, a watercress and pickled shallot salad and a garlic and herb butter. He had a rich peppercorn sauce too and was really impressed with his steak – perfectly cooked and deliciously pink, served sliced. And again a really generous portion.
Not that we needed anything else, but in the interests of a review, I chose the Zesty Lemon Posset.
t was served with a raspberry sorbet scoop on top and had jelly and a shortbread crumble. To be honest, I felt it to be rather gilding the lily as the posset itself was so good, and didn’t need any other elements.
But that said, the sharpness of the lemon cut through the sweetness of the toppings well.
My husband was rather boring, (and probably very full after his two massive courses) and just had a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Breakfast
After a really restful night’s sleep and taking full advantage of the brilliant shower, and some great coffee, we went across to the dining room of the pub for breakfast.
Here we met Fallon, whose attention to detail was very impressive.
The other overnight guests had all arrived at the same time as us, but she was the height of efficiency and still had time to chat to everyone.
Along the lines of the massive bread board the previous evening, she served each table with a veritable ‘bakery still life’; another board, beautifully arranged with toast, pains chocolat and croissants.
We both had the Hodd Full breakfast and I have to say, it was one of the best I’ve ever had.
The quality of the produce was very evident, as was the skillful cooking. The mushrooms had been slow cooked with a slice of tomato and a hint of garlic – they were really tasty and I mentioned to Fallon that they would make a nice breakfast dish on their own in a larger quantity.
Sensibly the breakfast menu was concise but had every option needed to satisfy a meat eater or a vegetarian, with avocado and smoked salmon options as well as a veggie full breakfast.
I’m so glad we discovered this fabulous pub – I know we’ll be back to the Hoddington Arms soon, especially as they offer a really excellent value dinner, bed and breakfast package for £190 a room (this includes a £30 per head contribution to the dinner menu).
The Hoddington Arms scored 9/10 for food in The Times’ ’24 best new hotels in the UK’. And I can now see why.
It’s a great stopover if you’re travelling west but as a destination in its own right there is a lot to see and do in the vicinity, including country walks, National Trust properties and lots more.
www.hoddingtonarms.co.uk
