The Parrot Inn, a country pub at Forest Green in the Surrey Hills.

We've had websites for our other pubs, but this one for The Parrot seemed a little more difficult – not because we've less to say – in fact we've got more to say – but because The Parrot is our first venture outside London for 30 years. We have allowed the pub to evolve whilst getting to know the pub and our customers.

We needed some inspiration – so we sat down with some friends and had a few drinks, and then a few more, and came up with our own interpretation of Maslow's Triangle – you know – one of those things someone has heard of – but becomes slightly muddled with intoxication.

Et voila - we have (with apologies to Maslow) our own program.
The Gotto Triangle.

We think ours sounds a lot better.

Obsession – yes – Compulsion – no

Linda and I have spent the last 25 years pushing at the boundaries – constantly trying to give our customers something different and special.

We have often been described as being among the architects of the “Gastropub” (a term we despise) – because we have only, and always, simply wanted to create the best atmosphere in which to serve the best beer and wine and to produce good food from the very best ingredients.

We felt that food production in the 80s and early 90s had strayed so far from field to plate, with mass production lowering standards all round, Thus began our foray into farming. Our aim – to produce the very best meat and to use it exclusively in our own pubs.

Ten years on – we have learnt so much. Our first lambing season was so exciting but terrifying. Now we are old hands, it's much more a case of shall we have new thermals for the overnight deliveries this year. We've run out of names for the sows, but still recognise the cheeky ones, and know that their beautiful straw beds will, within hours, look like a mud sculpture worthy of a complete Melvyn Bragg show.

Our cows are all beautiful – but we look at them not for their beauty but for their shiny healthy hides, bright eyes and broad rumps.

We now produce mutton on The Farm, which many believe is the latest fad. It is really because mutton is pretty damn good to eat!

We don't want to be trendsetters – more taste and flavour hunter-gatherers.

We hope The Parrot at Forest Green will become the realisation of our hopes and dreams in trying to provide a unique pub/eating experience, with the very best we can find in food, beer, wine and atmosphere, with a real farm shop – where you can buy things WE can honestly trust.

You will see throughout this website the notation
Obsession – yes – Compulsion – no.

What we mean, is that we are obsessive in trying to rear the very best livestock on our farm, use likeminded neighbouring farmers' produce and source the best of all main ingredients for use in all our food. Compulsion – no! Well, we're not going to dry our own chillies to add to a bowl of chilli – or say no to Heinz tomato ketchup because it isn't home-made – and we're not going to get caught up in that ever escalating fever over “Is it organic” or “soil association approved” “blah blah, blah” – simply – if it's good enough for our granddaughter it's good enough for our customers.