The cosy hideaway nestled in a 1,000-acre deer park a stone's throw from the coast at Thorpe Market, opened in 2011. And it swiftly became one of north Norfolk’s favourite foodie boltholes, famous for its Elk Room where prime cuts of meat are precision cooked in front of diners on an open fire.

There are 16 rooms, so you can make a stay of it. And it features an astonishing, eclectic display of art - including a Damien Hirst in the loo, a couple of Tracey Emins and some rather, I want to say bracing, pieces from owner Ivor Braka's personal collection.

A piece by Tracey Emin hangs in pride of place at the Gunton Arms. (Image: Contributed by the Gunton Arms)

The decor was created by renowned designer Robert Kime, who is known for his distinctive style of mixing antiques and rich textiles to create a 'lived in' look.

Stuart and Simone Tattersall, winners of the Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2025 Norfolk and Suffolk magazine Food and Drink Awards, are responsible for the day to day running of The Gunton Arms.

They met while working at Livebait restaurant in Leeds and went on to work for well-known chef and restaurateur Mark Hix. And they put excellent service and simple and seasonal British food firmly at the core of what The Gunton offers, with Stuart in the kitchen and Simone front of house. It's a winning recipe, as it's regularly named as one of the best places to eat in the country.

Stuart Tattersall of the Gunton Arms (Image: Contributed by the Gunton Arms)

In 2021, wanting to create a 'great village pub' Ivor, Stuart and Simon opened sister pub, The Suffield Arms, a short drive from The Gunton Arms and a stone's throw from Gunton station on the Bittern Line, which has hourly train services to Norwich, Cromer and Sheringham.

My friend and I were due to visit on the first official day of autumn. We were hoping that it would be jumper and boots weather - and we weren't disappointed.

As we drove up the A140 from Norwich it was one of those perfect, blue skied bright-but-with-a-hint-of-a-chill kind of days.

The Buxton room at The Gunton Arms. (Image: Chris Everard)

We checked in at reception where we were given a warm welcome and were shown to our room - The Buxton, a short walk away from the main house, which has views of the Stephen Cox sculptures in the parkland. The room was a perfect blend of cosy and luxurious - with a marble bathroom which really had the wow factor: a huge tub and an equally huge walk-in shower and fully stocked with gloriously scented products by Norfolk Natural Living.

After unpacking, we set out for a walk around the deer park in the golden late afternoon light that you get at this time of year, when the days get shorter and the leaves are on the turn. Thirsty from the fresh air, we then headed back to the main house for a cheeky half pint on a........

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