New owners at the Boot Inn specialising in cooking over fire

In the heart of Berwick St James is 16th century pub The Boot Inn, recently taken on by married couple Ross Anderson, 44, and Amy Anderson, 44.

Doors opened on December 8, and since then, they have been working hard to bring up to standard what was once a buzzing and traditional public house and add a niche.

The couple had both grown up in the pub trade – “publicans” as they refer to themselves.

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Paralleled with Amy’s background in hospitality and Ross’ background in cooking over fire, the duo had a strong background to give the pub and give it a new lease of life.

PICTURED: Amy Anderson (left) and Ross Anderson (right) (Image: Newsquest)

Ross began his career in the military serving royalty and politicians. Later on, in 2019, Roam Catering was formed - a company launched by Ross taking him across the world, offering private dining and lessons in cooking over fire

Amy and Ross, alongside fellow directors Fraser Deans and Carrie-Ann Pocock are hoping to open three pubs in the next three years, but for now, their focus has been restoring the Boot and bringing it back to life.

The outdoor cooking area (Image: Newsquest)

Ross said: “We want to keep it as local as possible. We don’t want to lose the fact it’s a beautiful, country pub in the middle of Wiltshire.”

The Boot uses local suppliers for their menu and restoring the pub. Meat is provided by Pritchett’s Butchers and Walter Rose and Sons; fish is from Premier Fish Ltd and Druids Lodge, just steps from the pub, is used for game meat.

The team have even added a marquee outside for outdoor cooking and dining - with initial support from Shipseys Marquees followed by Q and R Events manufacturing the stretch tent. Inside, they welcome dogs, and have a cosy fireplace area near the bar and dining area. 

Maisie Tidmarsh (Image: Newsquest)

They use a Kamado grill by Big Green Egg and serve food on sharing platters, allowing guests to choose from various menu items. Roam will also offer classes in mastering cooking over fire.

Before they took over, the pub had two zero out of five-star hygiene rating. For Amy, Ross and chef Richard Stanley, the priority was turning this around.

The team say that working at The Boot Inn is like working in one family (Image: Newsquest)

Within five months, they had achieved a five star food hygiene rating.

Over the upcoming week, a new summer menu, wine list and the option to book online will be launched.

The ethos of their extensive menu surrounds "flavour and flame". To view their menus, visit their website.