The Talbot Inn

When a pub is offering a selection of speciality gins it is an encouraging hint that attention to detail is a priority for the owners. At the Talbot at Mells in Somerset you can also get a good home made sausage roll to assuage any hunger pangs while you sample their own Talbot Ale, Butcombe or guest ale in the cosy bar. Homeliness is a key feature so much so that on Sunday nights in the comfy sitting room they show films or popular television programmes such as Downton Abbey and seasonal talent shows such as Strictly Come Dancing. Safe to say the owners, Dan Brod and Charlie Luxton (who also run the nearby and locally beloved Beckford Arms in Fonthill Gifford) want their customers to feel that the Talbot is a home from home. The eight bedrooms, like those at the Beckford Arms are furnished in snugly modern country style with natural materials prominent. iPod docks and the selection of DVDs are just as important as covered hot water bottles and luxurious locally sourced bath products. The food is smart pub grub with a reasonably priced, reasonably interesting wine list. And in what may be a stroke of genius or a smoky folly there are also plans for an indoor English barbecue.