What ignited your love for pubs?
I think it started with a love of hospitality in general, even just having people around for dinner, I always enjoyed hosting. But it was while working in restaurants and then having my own little restaurant that I fell in love with the idea of doing a pub.
Pubs are the most iconic form of British hospitality. The French have their brasseries, the Italians have their trattorias, and we have the pub. But, in this country, we haven’t given them the same kind of love and attention as hospitality is given abroad. The pub is such an integral part of British culture, recognised all over the world, and something we should be incredibly proud of.
What are the top three ingredients for creating a really great pub in 2025?
For starters, it’s about finding the right balance between food and drink. Sadly, the traditional boozer is a hard concept to sustain now, particularly in London. But the energy that comes with people wanting to come for a drink every day or coming three times a week, is really important for creating that soul and life within a pub.
We also talk a lot about community. What I love about pubs is that people use them in so many different ways. You have the guy coming in for a pint on his own, people meeting friends they haven't seen for a while, people mourning, people celebrating. Alongside great drink and food, the social side is huge. Identifying the community you're in and trying to be a part of that community is so important in a great pub.
At a broader scale, we also try to create a mutually beneficial community with the producers that we work with. We are passionate about reconnecting the pub with British farming. Farming and pubs are both so intrinsically tied to British culture and yet both are really struggling. We were determined to find a way that one could help support the other.
Our Mince on Toast at The Pelican is a great example. It came about because we partnered with a regenerative farm just outside Cheltenham. We bought the whole cow, which was better for them and more affordable for us. We then had to work out how to use all the bits beyond the prime cuts. We broke everything else down and put it into our Mince on Toast, which has subsequently become our most popular dish.
I think above all though, a pub should be fun. The most important thing in a pub are the people that are in it, and no one's in it more than the team that work there. So, you need a team that really want to be there, that really love it because people feel that energy when they walk in. They are the face of the pub and more than anything, I believe that is what people identify with and what brings them back.
Decent food is an integral part of your pubs. What is your favourite pub dish of all time?
Definitely a pie. In so many different forms, but a pie and mash is just one of the all-time greats. Going back quite a bit, one of the first things I tried to cook for my wife was a beef, Guinness and oyster pie. I think it was an old St John recipe. Even though it went terribly wrong, it has become one of my absolute favourites.
What qualities do you look for in the clothes you buy?
The quality of material and craftsmanship is something I care a lot about. Talking about things that the UK is famous for. Obviously, Savile Row tailoring is right up there. These days, I think you can find a similar approach to quality in some of the UK’s smaller producers. So, I like buying from smaller brands that are making things really well, things that are going to last. And genuinely, not only because of Original Fibres, but also linen. I love linen. Linen is such a great material and one that I think can be worn so much more than people realise.
Quick Fire Five
Favourite restaurant: La Terraza di Renza, Piedmont
It’s very hard to pick just one but La Terraza di Renza in Castiglione Falletto is the one that comes to mind because it has provided a lot of inspiration for what we’re doing at the Fat Badger. They have an amazing set menu format. Not in a tasting, fancy kind of way, but in a way where you’re asked to trust the cooking of the restaurant. And it gets you to eat things that you wouldn't normally eat. I had the most amazing carne cruda that I wouldn't have ordered but ended up being the highlight of the whole lunch.
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Anywhere in Italy. It’s so easy. But I'm completely obsessed with Piedmont. There are so many different weekends you can have there. It’s so beautiful with amazing wine and amazing food. Outside of the truffle auction in Alba, it's also a little bit less touristy than the rest of Italy.
Favourite musician: I have been listening to a lot of Bill Withers recently, and particularly his Live at Carnegie Hall album.
Prize possession: A beautiful art deco bar that I was given by my Grandfather. When I was at home, I used to go down and join him for his daily whiskey at 6pm. He'd always have a different one and he loved to bore us about it. As part of the bar, I’ve now got his decanter, his two cut whiskey tumblers, and even his little water jug.
Biggest indulgence: I've got quite a few indulgences, to be totally honest, but I would say wine. I love trying new wine. I guess it’s an occupational hazard - you get to try lots of amazing wine and you always want to try more.
