From humble pub classics to a now-famous gravy, Kelsie Duffy and Luke McDonagh are putting The Farmers Arms firmly on the Cotswold foodie map. Just 10 months after taking over the rural Gloucestershire pub, the couple has created a thriving destination for both locals and visitors from across the Cotswolds.
SoGlos chats to the husband-and-wife team about their journey so far, life running a pub with a new baby and their vision for its future.
Can you tell us a bit about your lives before you took on The Farmers Arms?
Luke: We both came from pub backgrounds – my parents ran pubs for 30 years and I'm also a chef. When my parents retired, I had the opportunity to continue and takeover their pub, but I wanted to try something else. I went on to work in breweries around the country and after a few years I decided that I missed the pub life and aspired to run my own one day.
Kelsie: My mum was a chef and my first job as a youngster was working in the kitchens with her, doing the washing up. Later, I went on to get work in other hospitality establishments over the years, but I came out of the trade about seven years ago to pursue a corporate career, which I still do today, alongside running The Farmers Arms.
What was it that drew you to Guiting Power and The Farmers Arms?
Luke: I knew of The Farmers and Guiting Power and what a special place it was, but Kelsie had never heard of it! At the beginning of 2025, I got a phone call out of the blue telling me that The Farmers Arms was going to be available. I was instantly keen but Kelsie needed a little more convincing and, at least, need to see the place she could potentially be calling home. We took a drive through the village to discover that it’s the most idyllic, postcard-perfect village, with its Cotswold stone and quiet country lanes – there’s nowhere like it. We went for breakfast at The Old Post Office and sampled Ting’s Hot Wok Eggs and our decision was made!
How would you describe The Farmers Arms and what makes this pub special?
Kelsie: The Farmers Arms is a pub that really belongs to the village – it’s the heart of the community and we’re looking after it for them.
We’ve got thriving skittles and darts clubs; an open mic night; a history club with about 60 members that meets here once a month; not to mention a pub quiz that sells out each month. It’s a community hub for the villagers.
Are there any interesting features of the pub?
Kelsie: Our skittles alley is one of our quirkiest and best features – and it’s one of the original skittles alleys in the area, which a lot of pubs have ripped out. But we have a dedicated skittles team here and we play against other local teams from places like Dumbleton and Winchcombe.
What’s your vision for the food and drink offering, and are you championing any local suppliers, producers or Cotswolds ingredients?
Luke: We use meat such as fillet steak, sausages, pork joints and lamb from Martin’s Meats, which is about five miles down the road.
We source venison from the lovely Adam Tatlow, which is part of the estate. We try and use fresh and seasonal products as much as possible and, most importantly for us, everything is made from scratch.
We wanted the menu to be classic and traditional and not pretentious or “gastro” – our vision was to cook really good, homemade food, where everything is made by hand – from our pies to our famous burgers – and there’s something for all tastes and budgets. You can come in for a fillet steak at £35 or you can sit down for scampi and chips for £10 – we want everyone to be able access our menu.
My philosophy on cooking is very much simple, humble cooking using great products – and patience! – to bring out those amazing flavours that remind you of home.
What changes did you make when you took over?
Luke: One major change was that on Sundays the pub used to offer a carvery, which we kept on doing for about few months when we took over. But it wasn’t long before we realised we were losing money every week and we weren’t able to really to send the dishes to our high standard because the nature of the carvery is that the food sits under the hot lights!
So instead, we introduced a Sunday roast and it has been so popular – fully booked each week. Both locals and tourists really enjoy it – especially our secret gravy recipe! – and word has spread to further afield too about how great the food is – we get people in from as far away as 20 miles or so.
Have you encountered any challenges?
Luke: Finding staff was a challenge at first as we are so rural, but we have an amazing team now.
Kelsie: Our biggest and best challenge to-date has been the birth of our daughter Willa in January, who we had only seven months after taking over the pub! But our fantastic team and the local community have been amazing and so supportive.
Luke: We also can’t ignore the financial side of things and how the onset on business rates and tax increase will ultimately affect us. We’ll need to be mindful about how we operate moving forward to ensure we are able to offset the impending changes.
What excites you most about this new chapter and where would you love to see The Farmers Arms in a year’s time?
Kelsie: Our beer garden has had a big makeover and we’re really excited to launch it for the summer. It’s a big asset for the pub as it’s huge and has the most idyllic view overlooking the village allotments and rolling fields of the Guiting grange estate.
We have lots more to come in our garden area too. We’re creating a pergola area and an outside grill kitchen so that we can host food events and other special dining and entertainment nights. It’s going to be a really special addition and one that we will be able to use through the winter months too.
We’re also upgrading our skittle alley, so we can hold a variety of events throughout the year, including seasonal fairs, parties and themed experiences. The best is yet to come and we can’t wait!
To book a table and find out more about The Farmers Arms, visit farmersarmsguitingpower.com, email bookings@farmersarmsguitingpower.com or call 01451 850358.
