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directory : olive branch, clipsham updated 29/10/2005 : added 23/10/2005  barn conversion and beech house added 29/10/2005 From the latest Olive Branch Newsletter ... 'Our builders Brown and Jones of Oakham and our architect Jeffrey Keays have spent the last four months renovating the barn and building a new corridor, with wine store, disabled toilet and garden store. The barn has wonderful new oak framed leaded windows made by local craftsmen at Matt and Richards' (Brown and Jones) workshop in Manton, with hand blown polish glass. There will be an impressive open wood burning fire, exposed beams and natural wood and stone floor. With some beautiful bespoke tables, made for us by Swans of Oakham, we hope to maintain the feeling and characteristics of the barn whilst adding warm and luxury to create a brilliant party room. On 2nd September we purchased Beech House the house opposite the Olive Branch, over the next six months along with Jeffrey, Richard and Matt we will be planning, designing and converting the house into a six bedroomed, bed and breakfast with a family sized room outside, two suites on the ground floor and three ensuite bedrooms upstairs. Breakfast will be served in the barn or in the room. We will keeep you informed and will hope to have an open house before opening in the Spring of next year.' olive branch events, winter 2005 added 29/10/2005 The following events are taking place at the Olive Branch in Clipsham over the next few months... the Barn is ready for bookings Mon 7 November 2005 'From Monday 7 November all parties over 12 will be accomodated in the barn. In order to continue the same high quality of food and the informality of service that we offer throughout the rest of the pub, we will be offering a 'family' style service where parties will have their own waiter/ess to look after them, the food will be served either in bowls or platters on the table, or carved and served from a side table by our service team. The barn will be perfect for Christmas Parties so call us and we'll send you our menu selection.' cookery demonstration Tues 8 November 2005 including 'warm tartlet of wood pigeon. shallot puree and red wine sauce, whole baked salt crust bream, purple sprouting broccoli, lemon hollandaise and sticky toffee pudding with devonshire clotted cream.' food and wine christmas sale Sat 10 December 2005 'Our Christmas food and wine sale will give an opportunity to taste and buy wines from the wholesale list with Christmas in mind Marcus will have a suitable selection to accompany every kind of seasonal party. Sean will have his usual selection of seasonal jams, pickles and chutney, there will be the chance to order goose or turkeys for Christmas, plus a whole range of produce suitable for gifts or entertaining.' guardian top 25 pubs to eat in In July 2004 the Olive Branch was included in the Guardian's list of Britains Top 25 Pubs to Eat In, their review appears below, or view it on the Guardian website by CLICKING HERE ... "There are so many blackboards here that you could be forgiven for thinking that Sean Hope, Ben Jones and Marcus Welford were ex-school teachers, unable to let go. But it is, simply, the most immediate way to list the rare and speciality wines, the cigars and the daily-changing lunches. The Olive Branch is no ordinary pub, for it is one of a tiny handful to be awarded a Michelin star without abandoning its cheerfully relaxed pub personality. The food is not dressy, and the casual mood - derived from a ragbag of bar furniture, closely arranged tables and log-burning fires - is fully intended. Though the menu seems to borrow from every nation, British cooking is still a strong point. Fish and chips, roast rib of beef, cottage pie, potted shrimps, Scotch egg with whisky mayonnaise, egg custard tart - all are revealed in a new and con temporary light. Real ales are taken seriously and the wines are exceptional. There's a sheltered and attractive patio for use in the summer." wine international magazine article The Olive Branch was the subject of an article in Wine International Magazine in July 2002. The full article is reproduced below ... " A Michelin Peace Offering by Martin Isark, Wine International Magazine Please let me take back all the uncharitable thoughts I ever had of the inspectors from the Michelin Guide. Now I know they are open-minded, fair and with enough bottle to give The Olive Branch, a recently opened Rutland pub, a Michelin star – the same rating as Rutland’s well established upmarket Hambleton Hall Hotel. The owners, chef Sean Hope, restaurant/office manager Ben Jones and sommelier/barman Marcus Welford (interestingly, all trained at Hambleton), were astonished when they heard of their award. It’s a wonderful achievement in less than two years. The Olive Branch is situated in the pretty village of Clipsham, ten miles north of Stamford and two miles off the A1 on the B664. It’s a real pub with atmosphere, where locals are assured of their welcome just as much as visiting diners. The beer is beautifully kept, and I particularly enjoyed my choice called ‘Olive Oil’. The very reasonably priced wines were of high quality: a Gewürztraminer-like Torrontes from Argentina at £11.50, Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 from Warwick Estate, South Africa at £14.95, and, from the ever-changing blackboard, serious claret from the 1990 vintage at around £45.This list will please oenophiles with its excellent choice at outstanding value. The menu, which changes daily, would refresh the most jaded palate. My partner was most impressed with her perfectly cooked basil-flavoured tomato risotto (£4.50). Indeed, its very fragrance almost made me regret my choice of home-cured Bresoala (marinated and air-dried beef fillet) with celeriac rémoulade, good as it was. Both choices of main course could hardly have been improved. The roast fillet of pork with fondant potatoes, and the caramelised apple and honey-glazed ham hock with poached egg and bubble and squeak all delivered memorable flavours. Desserts, too, fetched rapturous sighs from nearby tables. Lemon meringue pie, bread and butter pudding and Cropwell Bishop and Colston Basset Stilton cheese made choice difficult, but I was delighted with my unusual Olive Branch hot chocolate with a toasted marshmallow floating on top. The people of Clipsham are very lucky. Already the crowds are beating a path to the very proud Olive Branch, with its well-cooked gutsy food." WEBSITE LINKS NOTE ... The following Links relate to the item above. They are correct and working at the time this item was added to theBythams website - December 2003. They will not be updated at anytime in the future and so may, therefore, cease to function correctly as website addresses change. The links below may be reproduced on the Links page of theBythams website and those are kept up-to-date and checked frequently. So if the link below doesn't work try looking for one on the Links page. 
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