Great food is another passion of ours. Having worked in the catering and hospitality industry for a decade, we have a huge appreciation for the restaurants and places we choose to visit. Here’s a few spots that have encapsulated our philosophy toward great dining experiences. 

West Stoke House (now closed), Chichester

We couldn’t talk about our passion for food without mentioning West Stoke House. For those of you that don’t know, we ran this restaurant with rooms set in an old manor house near Chichester. We held a Michelin star and three rosettes in the 10 years we were there. The head chef was Darren Brown who looks to be at the Kitchen restaurant at Feldon Valley in Lower Brailes in the Cotswolds now. 

Babington House, Somerset

This place is mentioned not just for the food but for the style and atmosphere too. Soho House’s first country house venture is one of our favourite places to stay. At the time when the launch this place, it really was a true revolution in staying away. The way it was so relaxed, it made you feel like you were staying in a country house with friends. Their menu tends to be a modern take on british food, using great quality produce. 

The Harrow Inn, Steep in Petersfield

We love honesty in catering no pretentiousness just great, simple food and real people. The Harrow Inn is a family-run, 16th Century village pub. It’s the kind of place where you can ask for a ploughmans and be given half a pound of butter on your plate. Very worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Cornerstone, Hackney in London

When we go to London, we like to spend a bit of time in Hackney. We recently visited Cornerstone by chef Tom Brown which opened in 2018. His website says the menu is inspired by ‘the spirit of sharing plates and is made of simple, but sophisticated, seafood dishes. Michelin worthy food in our opinion with a lovely, casual vibe in the restaurant. 

Ottolenghi

When we sold West Stoke House in 2010, we went on to open a new restaurant in Chichester called Amelie and Friends. The interior for this place was completely designed by I Love Dust,  a company we have admired for some time. It had such a beautiful look. Our food inspiration was a small restaurant chain called Ottolenghi. Yotam Ottolenghi is an amazing chef from Israel. He has several restaurants in London and we love visiting them.