By Kitty Brandon and Eevee the Dachshund
Having looked through Chestnut's new doggy focused microsite - Chestmutts, we jumped at the opportunity to try out one of Chestnut’s dog-friendly pubs as staycations are brilliant and they’re even better if you take your best furry friend with you! Eevee could play the pampered princess (nothing new there!) at one of Chestnut's upscale inns and we would be able to explore a new area.
THE DESTINATION
The Three Blackbirds is a refined yet relaxed 17th century pub in the idyllic Cambridgeshire and Suffolk countryside, just outside of Newmarket. The accommodation, situated in a barn at the back of the pub, is perfectly prepped for your pampered pooch, with lots of doggie extras in the room, including a dog bed, bowl, dog towel (for those muddy paws), treats and a ball.
THE BEDROOM
We stayed in the Elderberry room. It was a beautifully decorated pink bedroom, conveniently situated on the ground floor with a grass courtyard on your doorstep, pawfect for toilet breaks! Eevee loved the fluffy rug in the room and really made herself at home whizzing around and sniffing every corner as if she were on Four in a Bed trying to find dust in the unlikeliest of places to have a reason to moan. She finished with a dust free snoot and the inspection was over. Tea and coffee facilities and some yummy homemade cookies for the humans were also in the room on arrival. There were also descriptions and directions of recommended dog walks in the area which was most useful.
BONE-APPETITE
The Three Blackbirds is ultra dog friendly. Water bowls are situated throughout the Inn, and the staff created a fuss over Eevee, especially Chris, who has a sausage dog of his own. We were impressed to find a dog menu and ordered some treats for Eevee to help her relax in the pub environment. Ordering from their Sunday lunch menu, we had a sourdough style focaccia and halloumi fries to start, followed by, after enviously spotting one on a nearby table, roast sirloin main. The food was lovely and we would recommend the pub for its food alone! Eevee enjoyed a cooked sausage, served in her own dog dish. And such was the size of the Yorkshire puddings and the added bonus of cauliflower cheese for our main, my partner and I opted to share a deliciously moist chocolate brownie for dessert.
LOCAL AREA
To work off some of the meal we ventured out on one of the recommended dog walks, the Studland Stomp, following the map and written directions provided in the room. It took us through the wooded surrounding area, and we enjoyed foraging blackberries and taking photos on our way! With the stomp being over 5 miles long, when we returned to the Inn, we sat down to a well-deserved cocktail and a refreshing Peroni at the bar before retiring to our room to give Eevee a pamper (after all, it would have felt much longer for her little legs).
BREAKFAST
Breakfast was a highlight for us. Whilst Eevee continued to enjoy her treats from the previous day as reward for good behaviour when in the pub (at least that makes one!), we started with what was one of the best croissants I've had in a long time: flaky on the outside with a slight doughiness in the centre and accompanied with a selection of jams and butter. We also had the Full English, with amazing locally sourced bacon and sausages, eggs (of your choice), black pudding, beans, tomato, mushroom and toast, all of which were delicious.
We finished our staycation with a trip to Ickworth House, a National Trust Property just a 30-minute drive away. It was a lovely walk to finish our stay.
Kitty Brandon, Chestnut Brand Ambassador
Kitty is dog mum to Eevee. Take a look at Eevee's instagram account here. You can also follow our dedicated doggy instagram account by clicking here.
To book a stay at The Three Blackbirds, or to read more about all there is to explore in the area, click here.