At The Pony & Trap, you’re just as likely to find a couple of farmers leaning on the bar, pints in hand, their tractors parked up outside, as you are a group of businessmen dining on expenses in the conservatory.
It may have a Michelin star, but it is still very much a country pub – ham, egg and chips (£10.50) sit on the menu alongside venison faggots, pork belly and pheasant breast. Lunch and dinner are £25 for two courses, or £30 for three, while a tasting menu costs £60 per person, with an optional £25 wine flight. Expect venison, turnip and turnip tops, as well as hake, chicken wing and bacon broth.
Josh Eggleton took over the running of the Pony & Trap in 2006, and, with his sister, Holly, heading up front of house, the pub swiftly came to the attention of the Michelin inspectors. Josh is now one of the country’s youngest holders of a star.
When not cooking at his own pub, Josh has his fingers in many other pies. He’s one of the co-founders of Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, a collection of tipis in Queen Square that, for the past three summers, has hosted one-off nights from some of Bristol’s top chefs.
He and his father, Chris, alongside Jerry Khoshtaghaza, of Crispies in Whitchurch and Brislington, are also behind Salt & Malt, a new fish restaurant that used to be the Chew Valley Lake tearooms. The Pony & Trap might be a car ride away from Bristol, but is well worth the trip.