Tom Kerridge to open second low-key Marlow pub

Having turned down the chance to open in London, the chef of the Greene King tenancy in Marlow will start seeking a site in the local area in early 2014. The aim is to create a genuine community pub where people can come to drink and watch sporting events, as well as eat.

“I’d want it to be a simple affair. My target is to be the first pub to win a Michelin star with Sky Sports on the telly,” says Kerridge.

The Hand & Flowers, recently voted National Restaurant of the Year, originally kept four tables for drinkers when Kerridge re-opened it in 2005. But demand for the chef’s food rapidly led to their conversion into dining tables – and now customers have to book months ahead for a reservation at the UK’s only two-Michelin-star pub. Kerridge would like to return to the original idea of a food pub accessible to all.

In the meantime, the Hand & Flowers will shortly unveil its new side-extension, which will see the bar moved into its own space adjacent to the dining area. Four seats will be available at the L-shaped pewter bar for walk-in diners only.