Spitfires, Smokehouse, and Stunning Views: Guy Ritchie's Dorset Restaurant Is One of a Kind

Smokehouse barbecue, Spitfires overhead, and panoramic Dorset views — Lore of the Sky at Compton Abbas Airfield is one of the county’s most unique dining destinations.

There aren't many places in Dorset where you can eat slow-smoked pork belly while watching a Spitfire take off. Lore of the Sky, nestled within Compton Abbas Airfield in the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is one of them.

The restaurant is the creation of Guy Ritchie - the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director who bought Compton Abbas Airfield in 2022 and promised to keep it "running in the spirit that has been curated by the Hughes family." Ritchie already runs Gritchie Brewery from Ashgrove Farm just over the county border in Wiltshire, so a smokehouse restaurant at a hilltop Dorset airfield is perhaps less of a surprise than it sounds.

The menu is built around low and slow cooking in the American barbecue tradition, with everything coming off an on-site J&R Oyler Smoker - the first of its kind in the UK and only the second in Europe. The six-hour smoked pork belly is the headline act, but the mixed grill, Black and Blue Burger, and sweet and spicy jackfruit bun all earn their place. Ingredients are locally sourced where possible, with produce from nearby Ashcombe Estate - including honey and home-reared beef - appearing regularly on the menu. Breakfast is served every day from 9:30am, and Sunday roasts run every week from midday.

The drinks list leans local too. Draught beers, ales, and ciders rotate from Dorset and Wiltshire breweries including Sixpenny and Eight Arch, alongside two house drinks worth noting: Altitude, a locally supplied lager, and Aircyde, a West Country Gold cider, both with aviation-themed labels designed in-house.

Friday evenings have their own identity. Live music runs alongside a Fire Pit Friday menu - smoked meats finished over open flame, with the bar open until 11pm. Some Fridays coincide with sunset car meets; the events calendar on the website is worth checking before you go.

The airfield setting does a lot of the work. Views stretch towards Shaftesbury, vintage aircraft come and go overhead, and the outside patio makes the most of both. Well-behaved dogs are welcome inside and out.

Later this summer, Lore of the Sky Fest takes over the site from Wednesday 29 July to Sunday 2 August - five days of food, entertainment, and aviation across the hilltop airfield. Each day has its own programme: warbirds flying including Spitfires, hangar tours, yoga, a comedy night, live music from What The Phunk on the Friday, a supper club on the Saturday, and a fun dog show and pressed flower art sessions rounding things off on the Sunday. Daytime entry tickets are available in advance - a three-day adult pass covering Wednesday to Friday is currently £25, with individual days at £10 for adults and £5 for children aged 5-15. The advance price runs until 14 June, after which daily tickets are £11 for adults. Full details and booking at loreofthesky.com.

Lore of the Sky is open seven days a week. Monday and Tuesday 9:30am-6pm; Wednesday to Saturday 9:30am-10pm; Sunday and bank holidays 9:30am-8pm. Food is served until 3:30pm Monday and Tuesday, 8:30pm Wednesday to Saturday, and 6:30pm on Sundays. Card only.
Compton Abbas Airfield, Ashmore, nr Salisbury, SP5 5AP | 01747 811767 | loreofthesky.com

Image credit: Lore of the Sky website.