The Kerfield Arms is the second venue in the capital from Adam Symonds and Rob Tecwyn, who also run the Baring in Islington, where Jay Styler was previously the head chef before leading the kitchen in Camberwell.
Its menu aims to ‘continue the team’s ethos of simple yet considered cooking, promoting humble ingredients and seasonal produce across a line-up of brand-new dishes’.
Within a year of opening, the Kerfield Arms, which is also number 25 on the 2025 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, was awarded a Michelin star on Monday 9 February at the ceremony held in Dublin’s Convention Centre.
Michelin described it as an “excellent reminder of what great pub cuisines can achieve - via dishes like a quince and bay leaf custard doughnut”.
It also outlined how the Camberwell pub’s menu is “packed with the kind of accessible, pared-back cooking you could happily eat every day” with “high-quality ingredients that shine in generous dishes with a complete lack of pretension or over-adornment”.
Styler outlined how he felt when the star was announced: “It was complete shock. I gave Rob [Tecwyn] a massive hug and felt really appreciative of what the team has done with all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.
“It was an absolutely incredible moment and I haven’t really managed to process all those feelings yet.
“Going up on stage with all those incredible chefs who won stars that evenings was mind-blowing. It was really special.”
Business boost
The chef also paid tribute to the team, shining a light on the relaxed but dedicated atmosphere in the kitchen.
He added: “I’m really proud of everyone in the kitchen. We have a good time and I’m proud of how we all get on, we’re all super chilled and buy into making nice food to the best of our ability.
“That’s what I wanted to do and achieve.”
While the team weren’t actively aiming for a star, it has certainly resulted in a welcome boost to business with 400 new bookings placed the day after the ceremony, with both lunch and dinner services fully booked since.
Despite the surge in interest, Styler stressed the venue’s identity and day-to-day approach will remain.
He added: “We are a pub, we have a dedicated bar area as well as a blackboard for specials throughout the week and people can come in for a pint.
“We’re a pub and we’re not going to change what we do. We’ve been open 10 months and we have done really well.
“If we’re getting these accolades with what we’re doing then we don’t want to change that.”
No rules
Remaining a pub is important to the business, he added, emphasising how it ensures a welcoming environment.
“I really like how we have some walk-in tables that are always available. We could book them out for diners and make more money but we want to keep that pub atmosphere,” Styler said.
“One of the things I like about serving food in a pub is there aren’t really any rules, we can cook whatever we want. We can have some more plated dishes but with how we cook, it lends itself to working really well in a pub.”
The future continues to look bright for the Kerfield Arms, building on the success it is already seeing so early in its journey.
Styler said: “Realistically, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s cool that we’ve only been open for 10 months so we are super early stages and we’re going to continue building on what we’re doing.
“The food has got better even over the past six months so we’ll carry that on.”
