About Us
Whether you’re visiting us to enjoy a glass or two of wine or local ale or joining us for lunch or dinner, The Old Boot Inn will provide you with a warm, friendly welcome on every occasion. We pride ourselves in exceptional customer service and delicious food.
New Beginnings
Michael Stenekes, The Old Boot Inn’s new landlord, comes to Stanford Dingley with a wealth of culinary experience. From initial training in Canada, he came to the UK and worked in a number of highly rated restaurants including The Savoy, The Four Seasons globally and three years at Heston Blumenthal‘s The Fat Duck, where he met his wife Melissa Lyons who grew up in Upper Basildon.
Having returned from living with their young family for seven years in Canada, Michael was presented with the opportunity to take on The Old Boot Inn with life-long Stanford Dingley local resident, great friend and business partner Tom Bucknell. Together, with Tom Basnett, the owner of Stunning Tents who supply TOBI’s incredible teepees, they aim to ensure that the charm of The Old Boot Inn is preserved whilst introducing a modern healthy take on fresh garden dining.
WARM FRIENDLY WELCOME
Dog Friendly Pub
We are dog friendly and dogs are permitted in the pub and garden as long as they are on leads.
Features
What We Offer
Garden Dining
Dine in our fabulous TOBI’s Secret Garden, a heated teepee offering garden dining.
(supplied by Stunning Tents)
Fresh Local Ingredients
We are passionate about sourcing the freshest quality ingredients and supporting local suppliers.
Large Outdoor Space
We have a large family friendly garden with fabulous views. Perfect for enjoying a drink and food with friends whilst the children play on the swings.
Creative Chefs
Our menus are updated regularly and our chefs are dedicated to reducing food waste and sourcing the best fresh ingredients from local businesses.
Private Events
We have a conservatory that can be used for small private events. We can cater for private parties, wakes, weddings or other events. Contact us.
Event Nights
Our themed evenings are always popular. Sign up to our newsletter to hear about forthcoming events.
In the Spotlight
Awards & Recognition
We are proud to have received the following awards and recognitions;
We are members of CAMRA, who support and encourage the beer and pubs trade by running beer festivals, lobbying Government for change, running numerous awards and developing bespoke pub finders and guides.
You can find us listed in the latest Good Beer Guide 2021. The Good Beer Guide is the ‘definitive’ guidebook to help you discover good pubs that serve real ale across the UK.
Testimonials
What People are Saying
“Great Job Done”
"What a fabulous job the Old Boot has done to work through this crazy time!
The changes & precautions were clear, the staff were friendly as always, the food was great as always - catering for our pescatarian and gluten free eaters. But the additional of a vast outdoor teepee to the garden added to the evening immensely."
Phillipa, Thatcham
Tripadvisor review
“Fantastic food, fantastic venue”
"We had an excellent family dinner in what can only be described as the most beautiful yurt. I can highly recommend the chateaubriand, that was delicious as was the crispy squid. The kids enjoyed their dinner too We will definitely be visiting again."
Skerby25
Tripadvisor review
“What a gem!”
"This was such a lucky (internet search) find. We had a glorious afternoon sat in the perfect pub garden while our children played and Rebecca was a brilliant host arranging afternoon tea and snacks for us. Huge portions, great value, beautiful spot. Seriously impressed. We will be back and heartily recommend to others."
DLF_11, Reading
Tripadvisor review