Claridge’s alum Edward Dutton takes charge of the kitchen at The Killingworth Castle

The Killingworth Castle in Wootton, just outside Woodstock, is closing out 2025 with a trio of achievements that underline its growing reputation as one of the Cotswolds’ most ambitious food-led pubs.

Recently ranked seventeenth best pub in the UK in the Good Food Guide’s inaugural pub list, freshly confirmed as one of the Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK for 2026, and now home to newly appointed head chef Edward Dutton, the 1637 inn is entering the new year with momentum firmly on its side.

And, in fitting festive fashion, the pub has marked the occasion by wrapping its exterior in an oversized red bow.

A defining year for an independent Cotswold pub

Run by husband-and-wife team Jim and Claire Alexander, The Killingworth Castle has long championed a fiercely independent approach: great food, welcoming rooms, and a commitment to local producers.

The pub has been Michelin-recommended for the last eight years, holds three AA rosettes for three consecutive years from 2024–2026, and appears in Condé Nast’s Best Cotswold Restaurants of 2025. But its arrival at number seventeen in the Good Food Guide’s new pub ranking marks one of its most significant recognitions to date.

The Alexanders, who have spent nineteen years in Cotswold hospitality, first made their mark with The Ebrington Arms - a run-down village inn they renovated into an award-winning destination before eventually selling it. They bought The Killingworth Castle as a wreck in 2012 and have spent more than a decade restoring and elevating

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Edward Dutton takes the helm

The biggest shift inside the kitchen is the arrival of Edward Dutton as head chef. Fresh from the kitchens of Claridge’s, Edward brings fine-dining pedigree and a strong commitment to British farming - values that align closely with the ethos already in place at The Killingworth Castle.

Edward’s focus on a farm-to-plate approach is supported by newly appointed sous chef Rob Mason, whose background includes training at The Cricketers in Clavering under Jamie Oliver’s father, followed by time at a number of Michelin and AA-decorated restaurants including The Cottage and Hampton Manor.

Their appointment signals an intent not just to maintain the pub’s standards, but to push its food offering further as it heads into 2026.

A pub restored - and wrapped for Christmas

Built in 1637, The Killingworth Castle remains a centrepiece of the village of Wootton. Its full restoration under Jim and Claire brought the building back to life while retaining the character of a seventeenth-century Cotswold inn.

The newly installed giant red bow, draped across the pub’s exterior, is more than decoration — it symbolises a year of hard-won achievements, the strength of its independent ownership, and a celebratory nod to the festive season.

For guests looking for polished pub cooking, a commitment to local sourcing, and the warmth of a true countryside inn, The Killingworth Castle is entering 2026 as one of the region’s most tempting prospects.

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