The story
The Hoddington Arms stands on Bidden Road in Upton Grey, Basingstoke, serving modern British food in a family-run pub. The AA awarded it two Rosettes for 2026, and the kitchen works through classic dishes with a current edge. Five ensuite rooms sit above the pub for guests who want to stay the night.
Chris Barnes runs the kitchen, and the Good Food Guide lists the pub as Good for 2026. Its menu leans on classic and modern-classic dishes rather than novelty. Plates arrive on slate, and chips come in small metal buckets, a playful touch that sits well with the pub's relaxed mood. British cheeses are well kept, and the beers come from Hampshire brewers.
Starters described in the guide include smoked duck breast with pickled mooli and five-spice plum chutney, and portobello mushroom arancini with truffled garlic mayonnaise. Mains range from sea bass with citrus-braised fennel to a short-rib burger with Cheddar, mustard mayo and onion rings. Some readers rate the Sunday roasts above everything else. For dessert, sticky toffee pudding comes with medjool dates and clotted-cream ice cream, and in summer the panna cotta is served with strawberries poached in English sparkling wine.
The dining rooms are framed by wooden rafters and exposed brickwork, and there are tables in the garden. Five ensuite rooms sit above the pub, each named after the natural world: Coop, Hive, Den, Burrow and Nest. Coop, Hive, Den and Burrow share a super king-size pocket sprung bed that can be set up as twins, while Nest is the accessible room with a king-size double and a wet room. Wednesday to Sunday rates include a Full English breakfast served in the pub on Thursday to Monday mornings.
Recognition
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A family-run pub well versed in the arts of hospitality is exactly what you would hope to find in a village like Upton Grey, and in the Hoddington Arms, locals have undoubtedly lucked out. A varied mix of indoor spaces framed by wooden rafters and exposed brickwork, together with tables in the garden, make for a properly bucolic air – and Chris Barnes’ kitchen does the rest. A certain quirkiness embraces slate plates and Kilner jars, with little metal buckets for the chips, but the heart of the operation lies in an appealing range of classic and modern-classic dishes. Smoked duck breast with pickled mooli and five-spice plum chutney or, perhaps, portobello mushroom arancini with truffled garlic mayonnaise are promising ways to start, before sea bass and citrus-braised fennel in tomato and red pepper sauce makes an appearance. There are readers for whom the Sunday roasts and the short-rib burgers with Cheddar, mustard mayo and onion rings are perfection personified, although these are run close by the sticky toffee pudding, jazzed up with medjool dates and served with clotted-cream ice cream. For something lighter in summer, look to vanilla panna cotta with strawberries poached in English sparkling wine. British cheeses are well-kept, and the ‘Hodd’ (as it's affectionately known) offers quality beers from Hampshire brewers, as well as a good spread of wines.
2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
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