It’s been quite a while since we blogged; the last year has been a crazy one. One of our goals for 2020 is to resurrect and re-design the blog, so we’re kicking things off today with a little post about Rover.com’s Dog Friendly Pub Awards.
Rover.com is primarily a fab database of dog walkers and day-care providers, and they recently emailed to ask whether Winnie and I would like to become ‘roving’ reporters. They have been running a competition to find the UK’s most dog-friendly pubs, and asked us to visit one in the South East and share our experience. Voting is now over, and The Fox and Hounds in Theale was named today as the best dog-friendly pub in our region, however Rover.com want everyone to visit as many dog-friendly pubs as possible; not just the winners! Keen to support dog-friendly businesses, we headed to The Four Horseshoes in Hook.
First
impressions are everything, and The Four Horseshoes didn’t disappoint! There
was a cosy log burner, everyone immediately made a fuss of Winnie, and the owner
produced a jar of treats from behind the bar! Winnie was in her element, of
course. There’s nothing a dachshund loves more than food, attention and
somewhere warm to sit.
The
décor throughout makes it obvious that the pub is dog-friendly, from the funny
sign pictured above, to artwork of dogs. There’s also a decent-sized beer
garden for dogs to stretch their legs, but we decided to stay cosy by the fire
today as it was SO cold outside… and Miss Winnie does not do cold.
After chatting with the owners about their own dog, who is normally behind the bar, it’s clear that being dog-friendly is very important to them. It was great to visit somewhere that was genuinely welcoming towards dogs, not just tolerant of them; which is definitely something we’ve experienced before. The chef even came out to give Winnie some roast beef! She couldn’t believe her luck.
After chatting with the owners about their own dog, who is normally behind the bar, it’s clear that being dog-friendly is very important to them. It was great to visit somewhere that was genuinely welcoming towards dogs, not just tolerant of them; which is definitely something we’ve experienced before. The chef even came out to give Winnie some roast beef! She couldn’t believe her luck.
After more treats, a delicious hot chocolate (and cuddles
with the owners!) it was time to go. I’m so glad we visited The Four Horseshoes
today, as they really did embody what it means to be a dog-friendly business.
I’m grateful that Rover.com contacted us, or we may never have discovered just
how many dog-friendly pubs there are in the South East! Don’t forget to checkout the website and visit the entrants in your region; who knows, you might
even find a new favourite!
Chloé, Archie and Winnie ox