Bottle & Hoop

Former Fleet barman Robert Mudge has gone from restaurants to retail just up the road from the site of the former Regional Restaurant of the Year. Step inside Bottle & Hoop, and the shelves and fridges are stocked with everything you need to make a picnic: artisan cheese, marinated olives, tinned Galician mussels escabeche and brews and bottles aplenty. But with Mudge at the helm, count on the drinks range being broad and brilliant.

Want fizz? Try Deliquente’s bianco pet nat fermented on wild yeast. Want sake? He can play it straight, or steer you toward a yuzushu. Wine veers between classic, natural and limited-release, there’s a smattering of mezcal in the mix with local Brookie’s Mac and Byroncello, while Friday Hut and Caldera tins show off the full spectrum of hinterland beermaking.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.