Brakspear-owned, Oxforshire village pub and restaurant with rooms, The Five Alls at Filkins, near Lechlade, is thrilled to announce the appointment of new owner, Tom Downing. Tom brings 20 years of experience in hospitality to the Five Alls, and previously ran The Crazy Bear Hotels and Restaurant for 12 years.
Tom moved to the Five Alls in February 2024, and since taking over, has overseen the recent refurbishment of the pub’s nine rooms and public spaces. Tom is also working hard to re-establish the Five Alls’ reputation for excellent dining and warm hospitality.
“I’m so excited to be running this gorgeous place and am planning to put all those years of learning, experience and passion for my craft into delivering and exceeding guest expectations every time,” says Tom. “I’m also thrilled to be working alongside general manager, Robert Wilks. With over 15 years’ industry experience, Robert’s attention to detail and guest care is exemplary and with his help we’ll be providing a well-trained team who genuinely care and enjoy working at the Five Alls and have the ability to deliver guest satisfaction and value for money.”
Lying close to the Oxfordshire border with Gloucestershire, Five Alls sits at the heart of the picture-postcard village of Filkins. A beautiful and charmingly restored 18th century, ivy-clad Cotswold stone coaching inn and boutique retreat with nine rooms, Five Alls also retains its vital role as a welcoming village local.
Cosy and welcoming and packed with history and character, the Five Alls offers a light and airy bar area for informal drinking and relaxing. Behind the handsome Cotswold stone bar, an excellent range of 40 carefully selected bottles of wine, sparkling wines and champagnes, with 20 available by the glass, alongside an extensive selection of locally produced craft ales and guest beers. Bar snacks include Mac and cheddar cheese bites, crispy olives, popcorn chicken and homemade focaccia.
Another bar snug area lies on one side of an Alpine-style snug with Chesterfield chairs edging a huge inglenook fireplace with log fires burning daily during the winter months. The bar snug leads to two light and airy, wood-beamed dining rooms seating up 100 with areas available for private dining. Above the pub, two Kingsize and two double bedrooms with a further five, cottage-style rooms with super Kingsize beds edging the rear garden with its suntrap terrace - a must for drinking and dining on warmer days.
Leading the Five All’s kitchen, newly appointed head chef, Luciano Juganaru, who will be ensuring that his well-considered seasonally changing, à la carte and set menus celebrate the very best seasonal ingredients found locally, alongside fresh daily fish deliveries from Brixham in Devon.
Vegetarian and vegan options are available on every menu and there’s also an all-day bar snacks menu and a dedicated children’s menu too.
Tom is currently working on introducing a new partnership with Bibury trout farm to produce a tasting menu with produce from within a 20-mile radius and regular events such as Fish & Chips and Burger Night every Wednesday throughout May, a new monthly pub quiz night, a Harvest Fair, live music by local villagers and has also teamed up with Filkins village hall to offer special Family Days.
The relaxed, buzzy atmosphere at Five Alls makes it ideal for families with children of all ages welcome to dine and stay. Extra beds for children are available and cost £20 per child.
Dogs are welcome in the bar and dining areas and there are two dog-friendly rooms for an extra £20 a night per dog, and which includes a happy dog hamper of duck bites, enrichment cards, adios poo bags and Earl Grey Hound (tea for dogs). Treats on the bar include rabbit, venison and boar chews.
Five Alls’ nine stylish and comfy bedrooms have just been given a refresh and are simply decorated in a calming neutral palette with pops of colour and luxurious touches including crisp linen and duckdown duvets.
Other decorative elements include thick all-wool carpets, vintage furniture and travel trunks, local interest books and guides, Nespresso coffee machines, mini fridges and Roberts radios, while high spec limestone tiled ensuite bathrooms feature luxurious, walk-in showers and Bramley toiletries.
Doubles and Kingsize rooms above the pub cost from £100 a night and Cottage Garden rooms with Super Kingsize beds cost £140 a night, on a B&B basis. A Family Suite, sleeping two adults and up to three children, starts at £140 a night + £20 per child. The Family Suite can also be used by two adults. Breakfast includes delights such as the Five Alls Full English and the very popular Bubble ‘n Squeak featuring streaky bacon and fried eggs.
Five Alls characterful charm is enhanced throughout with sensitively restored original features such as rendered Cotswold stone walls, flagstoned or oak floors, inglenook fireplace, exposed oak beams and Georgian sash windows, which complement the Cotswolds chic décor to create cosy, welcoming and stylish interiors.
Original works of contemporary art decorate walls alongside some quirkier touches such as antique gramophone speakers upcycled as pendant lights in the main bar, alongside antique kilims, Ikat cushions, linen curtains and Roman blinds.
On the doorstep, historic mill, museum and shop, Cotswold Woollen Weavers where the historic cloth in traditional patterns is still produced on old looms. Nearby, Uffington’s White Horse and Iron Age Fort, Kelmscott Manor, once the home of William Morris, the Thames Path, Buscot Manor and chocolate-box Bibury. Oxford and Blenheim Palace are about 20 miles away.
Filkins is situated midway between the historic village of Burford, with its fine high street and independent shops, Cotswold Wildlife Park and Burford Garden Centre, while Lechlade, also offers good, independent shopping and kayak hire is available here for exploring the Thames.
Five Alls takes its name from a traditional pub sign depicting various divisions of society in stereotypes – the king (rules all) the lawyer (plead for all) a vicar (pray for all), a peasant, (work for all) and a soldier (fight for all).
01367 860875 | enquiries@thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk | www.thefiveallsfilkins.co.uk
