Sloe gin and wild mushrooms in a rural corner of Hampshire
You wouldn’t think you could find such a remote and rustic hideaway just one hour from London. The 15 minute drive from Basingstoke quickly leaves behind the Basingstoke burbs and has you winding through quiet lanes and sheep dotted fields to where The Wellington Arms discreetly sits in solitariness, surrounded by well tended vegetable beds and planters.
From the outside this is a modest building revealing little of the warmth and space that bubbles away inside. Step through the door and you will be pleasantly surprised by the sight of a cosy, bustling restaurant, filled to the rafters even midweek, a fire merrily crackling away in the corner, a crystal decanter of homemade sloe gin glittering on the counter, and the owner chatting at leisure with his customers despite being at full capacity.
