On May 17th, renowned Chef Adam Handling will be opening his first ever venue outside of London – The Loch & The Tyne, a restaurant, pub, and rooms in the countryside of Old Windsor.

Following an unprecedented year for the hospitality industry, including the closure of two of his own restaurants, Adam is determined his group will bounce back from this long year of lockdowns all guns blazing, with the opening of his first-ever pub. Adam intends to make this one of the most sustainable pubs in the UK, complete with luxury bedrooms for overnight guests.

Everything about The Loch & The Tyne is rooted in ‘Sustainable British luxury’, with exceptional attention to detail in every corner and truly personal touches throughout. The venue is the perfect countryside location for weddings, private events, and country getaways. Adam and the team have designed bespoke packages, including the Gastronomic package which offers a 2-night stay, lunch or dinner in both Adam’s flagship restaurant The Frog in Covent Garden and The Loch & The Tyne, as well as a private chauffeur to take guests to and from each of Adam’s locations.

In another first for Adam, he has named two of his chefs as Co-Chef Proprietors. Adam’s core ethos behind his restaurant group is the development of his team, which is why Steven Kerr, his Group Executive Chef, and Jonny McNeil, Head Chef at Adam Handling Chelsea, will be taking the reins on Adam’s most exciting venture. Steven and Jonny have worked for Adam for 13 and 11 years respectively and Adam is gifting them this new site as an opportunity to showcase the skills they have learnt during their time with Adam. In fact, the name of the pub is representative of where Adam first met both Steven and Jonny – 2008 in Newcastle and 2010 in St Andrews.

Adam’s vision for The Loch & The Tyne is for it to be a local favourite, a home-from-home for destination diners, as well as enticing both UK travellers and international holidaymakers looking for the perfect countryside escape in this iconic Royal Borough.

PUB

The Loch & The Tyne will be Adam’s take on a traditional British pub. Open 7 days a week, every day of the year, it offers a relaxed and cosy space where guests can pop in for a quick drink or retreat for the day trying out the thoughtfully-curated list of local craft beers and wine. The menu will celebrate English wines, both still and sparkling, as well as offering a fine wine selection at much lower margins to make fine wine accessible.

The pub snacks menu will be an exercise in luxurious sustainability, showcasing Adam’s commitment to minimising food waste and creating quintessentially British zero-waste dishes. The team will be utilising the whole lamb, including the offal, to make their own haggis for ‘Haggis scotch egg, sauce ‘a broon’’. It’s also in the pub where guests will find Adam’s signature snacks – those craving Adam’s ‘Chicken Butter’ will find it served with warm Newcastle brown ale sourdough, and, of course, his much-loved ‘Cheese Doughnuts’ will be in plentiful supply.

RESTAURANT

With Steven and Jonny having been Adam’s right-hand men for so long, there’s no doubt guests can expect the same Adam Handling brilliance in Windsor that they have come to know and love in London. As well as signature favourites from over the years, including ‘Mother’, ‘Lobster Wagyu’ and The Frog E1’s legendary ‘Mac & Cheese’, you’ll find some new additions from Steven and Jonny’s fresh country inspiration, utilising the vegetable gardens that have been designed for a constantly-changing sustainable menu. Although the full menu is yet to be revealed, guests can expect a true celebration of seasonal British produce, including a take on Balmoral chicken, with foraged wild garlic and black truffles. The Sunday Lunch is also one not to be missed – think Beef Wellington, horseradish and smoked hispi cabbage, paired with incredible English wines. Equally, no pub is a pub in Adam’s eyes unless it has an incredible trifle on the menu, and this one is a real treat as the recipe is inspired by Jonny’s grandmother.

The restaurant interiors will reflect the history of the building and the local area. Originally two gamekeepers’ cottages, wood plays a huge part in the design along with characterful accents of brass and copper. This more traditional style is cleverly juxtaposed with some of Adam’s favourite modern art pieces.

ROOMS

The two bedrooms available at The Loch & The Tyne have been created with history and luxury in mind – every piece of furniture tells a story. Expect ultra-comfortable beds, a freestanding bath in the living room and peace and tranquility all round. Room packages include a decadent breakfast feast and the ideal countryside extras, such as full access to the gardens and the option to take one of the Nespresso Velosophy bikes (made using recycled coffee capsules) for a spin round the local area.

Whilst Adam and his group are widely known for their commitment to sustainability, this opening represents an opportunity for Adam to implement it on a larger scale that’s rooted in every aspect of the building. He’s determined to make this one of the UK’s most sustainable pubs. The site includes its own vegetable gardens, orchard, flowerbeds, an area for composting biodegradable waste from the kitchen, and solar panels to reduce electricity consumption. Adam has also teamed up with Estrella Damm to create an eco-beer garden which will incorporate solar-panelled phone charging points, blankets made from recycled materials, hot water bottle covers knitted by Adam’s mum, and table décor using homegrown herbs. Upcycled furniture has been used throughout the entire building, and water used in all of the sinks will be recycled as toilet water, minimising water waste.

Says Chef Owner Adam Handling, “Without the strength and versatility of my incredible team, I wouldn’t have even been able to open anything this year, let alone this absolutely stunning pub. I’ve always dreamed of having a pub as part of the group and to have Steven and Jonny, who have both worked with me for such a long time, at my side is such a great feeling. They aren’t just my team, they’re my best friends and have helped me to build my restaurant group. To be able to make them Co-Chef Proprietors is the most exciting and rewarding feeling in the world. I’ll be visiting them every Sunday for a roast and a pint!”

Further information: www.lochandtyne.com

Read our exclusive ‘GourmetXperience’ interview with Adam Handling on his ‘Hame’ At Home Chef Experience kits here

Is the Michelin Virtual-Guide 2021 Still Relevant in a Pandemic?

“At a time when restaurants and pubs are closed, why then would we be launching a guide and awarding Stars? The answer is simple: we want to promote the industry as much as we possibly can. We want to celebrate the many amazing restaurants in Great Britain & Ireland and all the hugely talented chefs and restaurateurs. We want to shine a light on our industry, to keep people talking about it in the media and remind everyone of what we have, and to bring news of our great restaurants to a global audience.” Commented Michelin.

In France the 2021 Michelin Guide was announced on January 18th, again virtually, from the prestigious Jules Verne Restaurant located within the Eiffel Tower. The guide’s inspectors assessed those to be included in between France’s lock-downs, drawing on inspectors from all over the World to apply an ‘all seats to the tables’ approach, inspecting all restaurants in 200 days only, instead of the usual 365! (See Summary of the French 2021 Guide results below)

Is this a flavour of how they will approach the GB & Ireland Guide later this month?

We were re-assured by Michelin early on that the GB & I Guide inspections commenced back in August 2019, providing much of the assessments before the first lock-down in March 2021. But many of those restaurants have changed their offering, adapted set up and many even closed permanently due to pandemic pressures. Some have even re-focused and improved, upping their game, until this closure hit.

Is the guide still relevant in this fast-changing landscape?

The industry consensus definitely suggests so. In fact, the guide may be more important now than it ever has.

Much like haute couture from the fashion houses of Paris and Milan will be translated onto global catwalks and ultimately filter down to High Street clothing retailers, the hospitality industry will look to Michelin for inspiration on how the top rated restaurants are innovating and adapting their offering in the face of a pandemic.

Beyond the need to adapt and innovate, restaurants at all levels still need to see how new cooking techniques, flavour combinations and styles of presentation are influencing cookery.

“For the chef, Michelin is god,” says Andreas Antona. “We can’t do without them because there has to be some kind of benchmark of quality, and trusted information for the customer on where to go and what to eat.

“Could they be out of date if they were published now, instead of in January? Very much so, because we really have no idea what the restaurant landscape will look like by then. But the guide is a crucial tool for hospitality and we need to work together to make sure it’s a platform that supports the industry as a whole.”

John Williams agrees: “It’s important that chefs, restaurateurs and guides like Michelin can come together, listen to feedback and have an open and honest discussion on how we can adapt and develop a better understanding between venues and customers.”

From a diner’s perspective, the Michelin guide is equally important. “Moving the guide back to January 2021 is a reasonable response,” says Andy Hayler.

“We know there have been some big changes in the sector; that many restaurants are working with smaller teams and smaller menus. Ultimately, Michelin can only inspect on what they see at that time, and reflect it back within the guide – because that’s the experience the customer will be having.”

Shaun Rankin of Grantley Hall, holder of previous Stars recently commented on the prospect of the Michelin Guide announcement in January “Our focus is the customer. Guides and accolades are always welcomed, but to us the paying customer is who we strive for.”

WATCH A TASTER OF OUR FORUM’S MICHELIN VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OF ‘RELEVANCE’ & HOW TO ADAPT BELOW:

How have public attitudes to hospitality shifted since lockdown?

Public sympathy for the hospitality sector has risen since the first lockdown, and there is a strong nationwide understanding and appreciation for the challenges it’s had to face.

Concerns around safety, however remain paramount. Many of the typical diners at Michelin starred restaurants tend to be in the older age brackets and are therefore more vulnerable, so providing reassurance that all possible safety measures are in place is critical. Andy Hayler, a prolific Michelin Diner, commented on his first post-lockdown experiences;

“I checked the website of every restaurant I was visiting to make sure they’ve got a clear COVID policy,” says Andy. “Whether they were providing social distancing, increased ventilation or wearing masks, the specifics of that policy doesn’t matter too much – as a diner, I just needed to know that they’re taking it seriously.”

As the vaccine is rolled out, no-one knows what the mindset of those who have received it will be when the hospitality sector re-opens.

Andreas added: “As a business, we actually come out of the first COVID lockdown as a better and more focussed operation. Because we were working with a smaller team, we had to concentrate our efforts and focus on doing two or three main courses really, really well – rather than trying to juggle half a dozen.

“Good food is about precision engineering, and we’ve now got the time and opportunity to focus entirely on making sure it’s perfect, because it’s up to us as Michelin chefs to do that. There are also simple incentives that can really help you as a business – we’ve taken inspiration from the Roux Brothers and created a very successful three-course menu with half a bottle of wine, and that’s worked really well for us, and now we have added our Antona At Home‘ solution during this lockdown whcih is keeping us focused”

However, if the public looks to any industry to exemplify the ‘new normal’, hospitality is a clear indicator. The service sector, when fully open, is already governed by strict hygiene standards, and has historically been required many times to develop flexibility in the face of new challenges.

Perhaps Michelin’s ‘Revelation’ will become a new Star to aim for once the industry re-opens, in whatever form they can when restrictions begin to be lifted once more.

They will need to adapt as much as those who serve it, to survive. 

Michelin Guide France 2021 Summary:

Last year’s 29 “three-stars” remain.
57 new restaurants make it to Michelin 2021.
54 have been awarded their first star (5 more than in 2020).

In Paris and Ile-de-France, the Guide Michelin 2021 decided to award 7 restaurants with one star:

Mory Sacko, Mosuke, Paris
Sébastien Sanjou, Paris
Jacky Tauvry, Paris
Jason Gouzy, Pantagruel, Paris
Enrique Casarrubias, Oxte, Paris
Assaf Granit, Shabour, Paris
Baptiste Renouard, Ochre – Rueil-Malmaison

Two Star:

Hélène Darroze,Marsan, Paris
Cédric Deckert, La Merise, Laubach (Alsace)

Three Star: Alexandre Mazzia for his AM restaurant in Marseille.

The Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2021, is this a flavour of next weeks awards?
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