The story
A classic country pub positioned on the gates of Windsor Great Park since 1877, The Bailiwick Freehouse is a gastronomic destination for locals and visitors alike. Its beautiful terrace overlooks ancient deciduous woodland, offering a serene setting for a meal.
The pub is run by Steven and Ami Ellis, whose training under Andrew Pern at the Michelin-starred Star Inn in Harome and Clare Smyth MBE at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay informs their approach. They bring a sophisticated twist to familiar dishes, making the most of the abundant local produce. Steven’s particular love of game is evident on the menu, supported by a strong relationship with the Gamekeeper of Windsor Great Park, which gives the kitchen exclusive access to exceptional seasonal ingredients.
The menu is seasonally evolving, created in close collaboration with a network of local suppliers, fishermen, butchers, and gamekeepers. The kitchen works to showcase the very best of the country’s natural larder, with a focus on Modern British cooking. This commitment to quality and provenance has earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommended award, a recognition that speaks to the consistent, thoughtful execution of the food.
Whether you visit for breakfast, a leisurely lunch, or an evening dinner, the atmosphere is that of a welcoming freehouse where the food is taken seriously but the setting remains relaxed. The Bailiwick is a place where the landscape and the kitchen work in harmony, offering a true taste of the area.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Nestled at the end of a no through road, with a little terrace overlooking woodland that, in early summer, is a mass of greenery, this 19th-century pub feels blissfully rural – yet urban Egham is a mere hop away. Inside, the smart bar incorporates chesterfield sofas, wooden flooring, a log-burner, a few seats for drinkers but mostly dining tables; the restaurant proper is down a few steps at the back. A quiet jazz-funk soundtrack keeps things casual. The prospect of good food also draws folk from all around this affluent neck of the woods, and clues to the kitchen’s forte abound: the antler on the mantelpiece; the pelt flung over the banquette. The Bailiwick is on the edge of Windsor Great Park and Ramsay-trained chef/co-owner Steven Ellis (formerly at the Oxford Blue in Windsor) makes full use of the local venison, while his wife Ami takes care of the desserts. Their fixed-price menu (there are appealing bar snacks too) might begin with a pig’s trotter ballotine, an elaborate construction with wine-poached skin wrapped around the meat and a topping of crunchy pig’s ear crackling; a whole poached crab apple and a brawn croquette beneath a fried quail’s egg complete this accomplished rendition. Elsewhere, a luxuriously gooey, slow-cooked goose egg is presented with truffle-laced ‘soldiers’, Parmesan, caramelised onion, grated truffle and crunchy hazelnuts. To follow, venison remains a year-round enticement, perhaps cooked every which way: tender loin with kale and pickled spruce tips wrapped in a faggot; a dense homemade haggis croquette; the shank meat used to stuff a red onion – all part of a divertingly classy assembly made still more mouth-watering by an intense venison sauce. Similar care is taken with a dry-aged Boston ‘chop steak’, a flavour-packed specimen barbecued medium-rare and served with Caesar salad, braised beef with mash in a potato skin, and bone-marrow sauce. For dessert, lemon parfait is a pleasingly summery contrast to the main courses, beautifully presented to resemble a lemon encased within a refreshing lemonade jelly and accompanied by burnt meringue ('whisper-soft'), lemon verbena and candied zest. Service is ‘friendly, warm and attentive’, while the wine list contains a varied choice by the glass and carafe, as well as fizz produced in Windsor Great Park.
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Location
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