A gastropub in south Oxfordshire has been named Spring 2024 Spring Pub of the Season winner by real ale enthusiasts.

The South Oxfordshire branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has named The Lamb Inn in Little Milton as its winner.

Staff celebrated with CAMRA representatives when they visited the pub near Thame.

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CAMRA branch chairman Graham Hards said: "The Lamb Inn is a lovely Grade II-listed 16th century thatched village pub with exposed beams providing old-world charm, nestling in the glorious Oxfordshire countryside on the A329 between Stadhampton and Thame.

"As well as the welcoming and cosy interior, there is a large patio courtyard area and a walled garden beyond that."

Oxford Mail: Staff at The Lamb Inn receive a CAMRA awardHe added: "Ben and Charmaine Tavossoly Moss  took over the Lamb Inn in May 2022 and it’s a great tribute to their efforts that the pub has continued to be very popular and a real asset to the local community, all the more so as this is their first venture into running a pub.

"The pub is noted for its fine food, which is freshly made using produce from local suppliers wherever possible and it also has a curated wine list from small producers."

The pub has recently garnered accolades for its food, including two rosettes for culinary excellence from the AA in February 2024 and a LUXlife award for the best upcoming gastropub in Oxfordshire 2024.

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The pub also serves several cask conditioned real ales in consistently excellent condition, including from local brewers such as Loose Cannon, Oxford Brewery and Rebellion.

Oxford Mail: Lucy joins The Lamb Inn, Little MiltonDuring his visit Mr Hards presented a framed certificate of the award to Ben and his and his team - Hannah, Paige and Reece.

The pub team posted on their Facebook page: "So proud to have been recognized by CAMRA this week, winning Pub of the Season! Well done to all the team and thank you to CAMRA for the recognition of their hard work!"

Lucy recently joined as a member of the pub's catering team.

The pub welcomed her on Facebook, saying: "The warmest of welcomes to our newest member for the The Lamb team, Chef De Partie Lucy!

"Having started learning to cook in a cookery school in Ireland, Lucy’s skill set was so obvious she jumped straight into Le Manoir where her cookery skills continued to flourish."

The thatched pub went on sale for about £700,000 in 2021.

The pub has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on reviews site Tripadvisor, and its food has a 5-star rating.

One reviewer wrote following a visit in January: "Truly amazing experience. The food was exceptional. My husband and I went for Sunday lunch and having travelled from London for the weekend we found this beautiful gem where we soaked up the great village atmosphere along with the extremely attentive and friendly staff.

Oxford Mail: The Lamb Inn in 2021"Ben the owner could not have done enough for us! The choices of food and fine wine were incredible! We would highly recommend the roast beef and roast chicken.

"Cooked to perfection with great flavours with every mouthful and great quality. We will definitely be returning very soon. Thank you to Ben and his team for an unforgettable dining experience."

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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