Previously part of the Truffle Hunting group, the high-profile Berkshire pub will close briefly in September to allow the duo to create Bouchon Bonwick, which is billed as a ‘celebration of classy French Cooking of the old religion with significantly interesting wines’.
The Bonwicks will continue to run the Troublesome Lodger above The Oarsman Pub in nearby Marlow, which is owned by Truffle Hunting’s Nigel Sutcliffe and James McLean’s.
Simon and Deborah and their large family have run a string of critically successful pubs in Berkshire including The Crown at Burchetts Green and The Dew Drop Inn, which were listed on both Restaurant’s list of the top 100 places to eat in the UK and the Top 50 Gastropubs list (the former also won a Michelin star).
“Everyone who knows us knows our connection to Bray; the call to adventure for us was too strong to ignore or turn away from,” Simon says. “The Crown is steeped in our kind of historic charm, the kind of charm we love. We will make the ‘Bonwick’ mark here, which reflects beautiful cooking of the old religion, exceptional service, all bound together with super cleanliness.”
Deborah added: “We are ready and excited to embark on this journey in the increasingly challenging pub environment. The pub industry remains alluring to us; the industry has continually shown its innovative excellence through the pandemic and has displayed fortitude through Brexit, a war, and a cost-of-living crisis.”
