This pub with rooms is surrounded by Michellin-starred restaurants, but the food here is good enough to rival the famous names – and at a fraction of the price
I went to the Mash Inn with high hopes for dinner. The recently reopened pub makes much of its prime position in foodie country, name-checking illustrious neighbours such as the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, the Fat Duck in Bray and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton. Clearly, owner Nick Mash and chef Jon Parry would love the Mash Inn to be part of such a starry brigade.
Anyone expecting the starched tablecloths and a stuffy atmosphere of an ambitious restaurant will be (pleasantly) surprised, though. The Mash Inn, formerly the Three Horseshoes, dates back to 1745 and is still a cosy, characterful pub. We arrived on a cold December night to the cheery sight of blazing fire pits. Inside, there is a tiny flagstone-floor front bar with wood panelling, a stained glass window and a stove, serving cider pressed in the village and ale from the nearby Rebellion brewery. Beyond the bar, it is all wooden floorboards, exposed brick and bold prints, such as Patrick Caulfield lampshades.
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