Proud Winners of the TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Award 2021!
Licencees
The new owners, Paul. Gale and Callum, have experienced a warm welcome from the local community and regular vistors to the Saye and Sele Arms and have committed themselves to ensuring that the business is accessible to all in the community. To that end, as well as the whole of the outside space being dog friendly, there is now a Dog Friendly Area inside the building for clean well behaved dogs, whilst retaining a dog free area for those that wish to dine without a canine presence.
We remain comitted to providing quality catering to those that require fine dining or even a bar snack, as well as to those wishing to spend some quality time sampling the selection of fine real ales, lagers, wines and spirits as well as the ever growing gin selection.
The Building
Part of the historic Broughton Castle estate, the ancestral home of Lord & Lady Saye & Sele, was uilt around 1300 and was first licenced in 1782. The hallway has a wealth of photographs showing the pub in its thatched glory with a well in the garden and a rolling grass hillock down to the front of the pub which is now the car park.
The Restaurant
Following redecoration, with new carpets, curtains and decor, you will dine in a Hunting Lodge themed room featuring a genuine ancestral painting of Thomas, the 13th Lord Saye & Sele (1735-1788) which is on permanent loan from Broughton Castle. due to Thomas being "persona non grata" at the castle, having bankrupted the family and leaving the Castle in disrepair during his tenure. There is currently a maximum capacity of 32 diners in this area.
The Bar
Has an abundance of well polished old original flagstones and a carpeted area with a normal total seating capacity of 40. The low ceiling and original beams give the bar a warm and welcoming feel. You will also note the Motorsport Theme reflecting the interests of the owners and the proximity to Silverstone - The Home of British Motorsport. The new owners are pleased to welcome diners and drinkers alike with a large and growing selection of good quality, locally sourced food and well kept Ales. The Saye & Sele Arms is also the only pub in the area to have its own bespoke Real Ale brewed for them. Our "Lord Saye and Sele - Century Bitter", a quality, smooth Chestnut Ale with an ABV of 3.9% was named after Lord Nathaniel Fiennes, the current Lord Saye and Sele and in honour of his 100th birthday. The pub has recently achieved the highest possible marks from the independent assessors Cask Marque for the well kept cellar and quality of the beers. Free of tie from any breweries or pub chains ensures a wide access to a large choice of real ales, lagers, ciders, wines etc. The pub has also recently been awarded the coveted "Certificate of Excellence" from Trip Advisor as well as the Travellers' Choice Award for 2021.
Food
Having just received a "Certificate of Excellence" rating along with a Travellers Choice Award for 2021 from Trip Advisor am,ongst other accolades, the new owners continue to be committed to maintaining the consistency of the food offering so that customers know what to expect from the kitchen on repeated visits to the Saye & Sele. To this end they have retained the previous highly experienced kitchen staff. In conjunction with our head chef, we have created a new series of menus for the different seasons which retain some of the existing perenial favourites and some exciting new dishes. The Saye & Sele is very proud of the Hearty Homemade Pies that are all amply filled and surrounded by short-crust pastry (all round, not just on the top) :- Lamb and Apricot, Beefsteak, Kidney and Guiness, Chicken, Bacon, Mushroom and Tarragon, Pork with Sage and Red Onion, Minced Beef, Cheddar and Stilton to name but a few. The A la Carte menu has something for everyone with special consideration towards those requiring Gluten Free, Vegan and Vegetarian dishes. All of our menu items including our desserts are all made on the premises with the exception of ice creams. The Souffléd Bread and Butter Pudding, a recipe perfected by the previous chef and maintained by the current owners is definately not to be missed. Local suppliers are used as much as possible to ensure the expected freshness and quality.
Sunday Lunch
Classical Roasts appear on the menu every Sunday, Topside of Beef, Fillet of Lamb, Herb crusted Loin of Pork, etc. Several Starters, Main courses and Dessert courses are available. Food is served between 12:00 and 14:30 and bookings are strongly advised as both the restaurant and bar tables fill up very quickly.
The Garden
Enclosed by stone walling and neat fencing with a backdrop of mature trees, well stocked old English borders and even a potted herb area. Seating for 50 plus on the paved patio or the lawn is available for dining al fresco when the English weather obliges. The pergola area, nestled in the planted border, will be a draw to the garden for our regulars and new visitors alike and for the smokers amongst our guests an area of our patio, called Sally's Rest, after the popular Oxfordshire game, is available to ensure you are protected from the elements. The large cast iron "Dragon" is popular with our youger visitors, along with the Stone Rabbit in the bird bath. (More of these to be added in the future to form a "Can you find it?" trail to occupy younger minds).
The pub also has a very well looked after Aunt Sally area for the unique Oxfordshire game. The pub is adorned with beautiful hanging baskets and troughs during the summer which gives the pub a very eye catching and weicoming appeal.
Parties, funtionins and events
Paul, Gale and Callum welcome all enquiries for parties, wakes, weddings etc and are happy create bespoke personal menus to suit, ensuring that our guests are fully satisfied and confident of a perfectly tailored occasion. Glowing testimonial and reviews available.
The pub is also available for Private FUNCTIONS at any time and on SUNDAY EVENINGS, MONDAYS and TUESDAYS as well asd some other times throughout the week.
Children
Very welcome if well behaved in the pub and when accompanied by an adult. We also have two high chairs available if required. (For the comfort and enjoyment of other diners, please understand that No Noisy Electronic Toys are permitted)