The makeover at The Kings Arms Hotelin Stow-on-the-Wold is now nearing itsfinal phase of completion and what anawe- inspiring job they’ve made of it.The management team of owners,Lucinda Hawkings-Byass and RichardEast have very delicately re-furbishedthis old coaching house and restored asense of refinement and elegance.

I’ve always liked the feel of theseboutique hotels, as they offer a reallycosy, yet stylish place to stay and eat,without the sense of being ‘swallowedup’ as you can be by the large facelesscorporate hotels. And talking of eating,The Kings Arms has just taken on a newhead chef; one Jason Hyatt. Now this isvery good news indeed, as he recentlyhails from Fosse Manor Hotel and hascooked for none other than PrincePhilip and Princess Anne. In short, thefood is fantastic. If you get the chanceto eat at The Kings Arms Hotel, plumpfor his signature dishes of either ConfitDuck or Belly Pork. They’re both trulyhistoric in the sumptuous sense. And ifyour tooth is of the sweet variety, thenkick out the diet, throw away the caloriecounter and indulge yourself in hislegendary sticky toffee pudding. It’s abeautifully rich assault on the senses thatwon’t leave you feeling cheated orhollow.

The new refurbishment has meantthat The Kings Arms Hotel is enjoying arejuvenation and Richard Eastcommented: “We had a very good raceweek and the recent beer festival provedto be very successful for us.”

And with horse racing in mind and allthings equine, I’ve also found out thatthe Hotel has its own race horse, MyViking Bay, which has just raced atCheltenham.

Although The Kings Arms is fully upand running, they’re due to have theofficial launch in the first week of July,which will provide a showcase for thenew chef, the restaurant and of coursethe hotels room facilities. The restaurantitself takes the theme of an oyster barand chop house, featuring a traditionalsteak and butchers menu... all sourcedlocally of course. There’s also a fantasticselection of fine wines and beers tochoose from. I’m also reliably informedthat they’ll soon be starting up their ownwine club, which will definitely besomething to look out for, particularlywith the Byass family sherry heritage.

The Kings Arms Hotel is absolutelyastounding and totally in keeping withthis historic town and its remarkablehistory. Old and new don’t always mix,but this refurbishment has lovinglycaptured the very essence ofsophistication and elegance, togetherwith offering a very relaxed and modernenvironment. The Kings Arms Hotel inStow-on-the-Wold is definitely worth avisit for either lunch or dinner and toperhaps even relax and unwind in oneof their well appointed boutique-stylebedrooms. And of course now they canreally boast a royal connection with theirnew chef. You see, there’s always a twistin the tale and this one emanates fromthe kitchen.

MAY 2010 COTSWOLD STYLE � 25

the kings arms

a rightroyal twist

Eric Barton on the progress at The Kings ArmsHotel, Stow on the Wold...

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For further information and offersThe Kings Arms HotelMarket Square, Stow-on-the-WoldGloucestershireGL54 1AFTel 01451 830364www.kingsarmsstow.co.uk

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