Cirencester’s newest pub and bed and breakfast has been awarded the highest possible food hygiene rating just three months after opening.
The Admiral Sir John Talbot, on Victoria Road, achieved a five-star Food Hygiene Rating following its launch in June, marking an early success for the newly transformed venue. The award is particularly impressive given the scale of work that has taken place behind the scenes. As part of the extensive redevelopment of the former Talbot Inn, the pub’s kitchen has been completely reconfigured to create a modern commercial facility capable of supporting the venue’s growing food operation.
Despite working around ongoing building works throughout the summer, head chef Ethan Rodgers and his team have continued to deliver a full food offering while helping shape the kitchen’s development.
Ethan, whose career has included roles at Cirencester Park Polo Club, the original Lucky Onion and The Wheatsheaf in Northleach, said: “It is a fantastic achievement for the team to get a five-star hygiene rating, particularly when you consider what has been involved behind the scenes. We have effectively been creating a modern kitchen as part of the wider refurbishment of the pub, so it has been a case of making everything work while we have been getting the building ready for the next stage.
“Over the summer we have had to be inventive, using a combination of barbecue cooking, making the most of the ovens when available and, perhaps most importantly, relying on experience and a good understanding of how to get the best out of what we have got. To now have the official five-star rating is a real boost for everyone involved and gives us a great platform to build on, maybe even add a few awards, for our beer, and of course our dining.
“What we have created is a seasonal menu, that takes traditional British pub classics, and mixes it with modern, contemporary cooking from Europe and beyond. We are very proud to use the best of the region, as well as trusted suppliers of other great produce.”
The pub’s front-of-house operation is led by manager Neil Robson and assistant manager Trudi Pannell, who have overseen the launch while work continues across the wider property.
Neil said: “It is great recognition for what has been an enormous amount of work by everyone involved. Opening a new pub is one thing, but doing it while a major refurbishment is taking place around you brings its own challenges. The kitchen has had to be restructured and developed alongside the rest of the building, while Ethan and the team have continued to deliver food for our customers. To come through that process with a five-star hygiene rating is something we are all very proud of. But we are not stopping there. The next major stage is getting our five bedrooms finished and open.”
The next phase of the development will see the completion of five modernised en-suite guest rooms, allowing The Admiral Sir John Talbot to fully realise its vision as a destination for food, drink and accommodation in the heart of Cirencester. Once complete, the venue will operate seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside its overnight offering.
“The rooms are going to make a huge difference to the business and to what we can offer the town,” added Neil. “We want The Admiral Sir John Talbot to be a proper community pub, as well as somewhere people can stay, eat and drink when visiting Cirencester and the Cotswolds. We are building it step by step, and the five-star rating is a very important milestone along the way.”
The owners have also thanked Arkell’s Brewery for its continued support throughout the redevelopment and opening process.
The Admiral Sir John Talbot was created through the redevelopment and renaming of the former Talbot Inn. Its new identity honours Admiral Sir John Talbot, the Royal Navy officer whose links to the Talbot family and the Cirencester area inspired the pub’s new chapter.
For more information, visit the Admiral Sir John Talbot website.
