M5 Junction 11a   Birdlip  The Air Balloon Inn  01452 862541  ££  Back to M5

3 mins.  Take the A417 towards Cirencester.  Follow the road to the the roundabout where you pass the Inn on the right.  Go onto the roundabout and turn right, then immediately turn right again onto the carpark.

Food and hot drinks served all day.  Mon-Sat 10.00am to 9.30pm, Sun 12.00pm to 9pm

Attractive non-smoking pub and restaurant with an excellent varied vegetarian and healthy selection, with options for vegans.  Nice outside seating and children's play area.

From an interesting choice of vegetarian options we had the roast vegetable and rarebit strudel which came with new potatoes and a large side salad, and rustic sharing bread - a herb and garlic bread with olives and roast cherry tomatoes.  The food was prepared from very good quality ingredients and well put together, but we were there at the end of a busy bank holiday and there were one or two hiccups from the kitchen staff.  Fortunately the serving staff were excellent and very friendly so all was sorted out in the end.  There is also a children's menu, a bit reliant on fast food as usual, but it did include two vegetarian options.  The Air Balloon is a lovely restaurant and deserves full marks for their approach to vegetarian food!

 

M5 Junction 19  Easton in Gordano  The Rudgleigh Inn  01275 372 363  £  Back to M5

4/5 mins.  Take the A369 towards Bristol.  Follow the road as it bends to the left and after a few minutes the Inn is by the side of the road on the left on a slight rise.

Food and coffee served all day from 11am to 10pm (Sundays from noon)

Family friendly pub with lots of vegetarian and healthy choices, with options for vegans.

A very relaxed attitude makes this pub a particularly welcome stop.  A conservatory and garden suitable for children complete with climbing frame.  The garden overlooks a village cricket pitch!

Fun menu with veggie pastas, baked potatoes, salads and sandwiches available, but we went for vegetarian sausages, served with egg and chips, we swapped the egg for beans and mushrooms.  The children’s menu didn’t actually list vegetarian options.  Six of us shared desserts of banana bovois (creamy mousse), apple and toffee pie and toffee lumpy bumpy – they were devoured in seconds!  A great spot for families – we spent a happy couple of hours here, playing on the out-of-use cricket pitch while we waited for food and between courses.