Michelin chefs Alyn Williams and Nathan Eades to join the pub sector
Eades will be head chef and will be joining from Simpsons in Birmingham in January 2018. Williams will follow him in May 2018 as chef-patron.
The Kingham, Oxfordshire, pub, owned by Carole Bamford, was Michelin pub of the year in 2015 and received its first Michelin star in 2017. However, the Wild Rabbit lost its star in the 2018 guide following the exit of executive chef Tim Allen.
Williams has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, for whom he was head chef at his two-Michelin-starred establishments. He opened his own restaurant – Alyn Williams at The Westbury – in November 2011 and won him the title of National Chef of the Year in 2012 and his first Michelin star swiftly followed this. He has since been awarded four AA rosettes.
His decision to leave London is based on the quality of local produce that can be found in the Cotswolds.
“The Wild Rabbit’s location in the Cotswolds, surrounded by the Daylesford estate, means that we have access to some of the finest locally sourced ingredients in the country,” said Williams.
“My ethos is symbiotic with our surroundings, and I am looking forward to working closely with everyone at Daylesford, from the farm to the bakery, to produce great dining experiences for our guests.”
Eades was previously head chef at the Michelin-starred Simpsons Restaurant, Birmingham, and has also worked at Fishmore Hall in Ludlow, Shropshire, and Relais & Chateaux Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.
“I am extremely excited about moving to Kingham and to building on the foundations of the past as well as bringing in my own perspective and style,” said Eades.
“I'm looking forward to being part of a team that pursues excellence, and to continuing the tradition of fantastic food at the Wild Rabbit.”
Bamford said she is looking forward to welcoming the pair to the pub.
“I am very proud that the Wild Rabbit has always attracted food lovers from afar while looking after our locals, and I know our two new chefs will be an exciting next chapter for the pub,” she said.
