The Bakers Arms in Broad Campden has finally re-opened, just in time for its 300th anniversary.
The Grade II listed pub has been closed since early 2024, when the previous landlord and landlady retired. It was then bought by neighbours and villagers Richard and Gail Smith, who have taken on the project of restoring it to its former glory and improving the garden and dining elements of the business. A new patio has been added, with upgrades to the bar and dining areas, and a new kitchen has been installed.
The 19th-century inn, formerly a Flowers Brewery pub, is leased to and managed in a joint venture arrangement with Cotswold caterers, The Relish Group, together with the Smiths and well-known Campden residents Stephen and Charlotte Gabb.
Under the stewardship of Relish and experienced head chef and consultant Chris Heather, contemporary dishes have been added to the menu alongside pub classics. “His roasted duck breast, confit leg, blackberry and potato terrine is a testament to what we were looking to do here,” explained Stephen Gabb, one of the new owners and a local resident. “We also can’t have a name like The Bakers and not make our own bread, so the Baker’s focaccia is a stand-out on the menu.”
The sleepy Cotswold village, with only 100 residents, will welcome back its pub, and Stephen Gabb hopes they like the changes. “It has been great fun bringing this pub back to the village and surrounding area. We did not realise until we started the project how much it meant, not just to the locals but to so many from far and wide, and to do it in an anniversary year is just the icing on the baked cake, excuse the pun,” he added.
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