Harden's says
A proper British pub in Cider with Rosie country.
Harden's survey result
Summary
This “very special pub in the gorgeous Slad Valley” combines “brilliant cooking” with “an olde worlde country feeling” – it was “Laurie Lee’s hangout and he’s buried in the churchyard opposite”. Owned and run for more than 25 years by the sculptor Daniel Chadwick, it offers a “delicious menu that ranges lightly across influences (Modern European? Modern British? Does it even matter?)” – “every single dish, from olives and charcuterie through to a large plate of perfectly cooked lamb with root vegetables is spot-on” (“we overheard a couple saying they’d driven down from Manchester, which was both insane and understandable!”). Top Menu Tip – “skate with cockles and wild garlic in cider sauce” (Laurie Lee’s Rosie would have loved it).
Summary
This “beautiful traditional country pub, a favourite of Laurie Lee, has bags of atmosphere and views over the Slad Valley” – and is one of the few to offer regular tarot readings! “The food is amazing, with a real Italian twist and lots of fresh, in-season ingredients” – often just “three ingredients on a round white plate, done to perfection”. Daniel Chadwick, the landlord for 25 years, opened a spinoff bistro called Juliet in nearby Stroud in autumn 2024. Top Menu Tip – “devilled kidneys starter a must”.
Summary
In Gloucestershire’s lovely Slad valley, “Laurie Lee’s local has just gone from strength to strength over the years – although it’s not clear what Laurie Lee would think about it now, as while it’s still all scrubbed tables and good cider, it now also has a talented chef producing high-end pub grub”. “Sometimes the food is exceptional” (it was on Giles Coren’s June 2022 visit) – “service has been varied, but everywhere is struggling with staff… but on the right day, a visit here is magical”.
For 35 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Woolpack Inn?
Slad Road, Slad, GL6 7QA
Restaurant details
The Woolpack Inn Restaurant Diner Reviews
"One of my favorite pubs, the food is soo good and the menu is all so tempting it is very hard to choose, The pub is so quaint nestled in the valley Laurie Lee called home, i think this pub was a home from home for him too. We came this time for my birthday lunch, we brought our 10 month granddaughter too and she was well looked after. this is not your average pub food, but neither is it pretentious or fussy, just fantastic ingredients and an ever changing menu of the best that the season has to offer. We had the freshest oysters to start and some nice glasses of fizz to go with it. whipped cod's roe and radishes to follow and mains of grilled quail with raw turnip, grilled mackrel with the best tomatoes and a barnsley chop with a buttery herby anchovy sauce and new potatos, all excellent. A goosbery fool and delcious chocolate mouse that was a vehicle for the most fab poached cherries. What a feast! Some of the service can be a bit haphazard, but this is a true gem."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £28.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Slad Road, Slad, GL6 7QA
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6 pm‑8:30 pm |
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