Former Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston exec chef Ashley Palmer-Watts has emerged as the mystery third man behind new Soho pub The Devonshire, which opens today.
The long-planned venture close to Piccadilly Circus is on a prominent corner of Denham Street, originally a pub from 1793 and more recently a Jamie’s Italian. It is headed by publican Oisin Rogers, formerly of the Guinea Grill in Mayfair, and Charlie Carroll, founder of the Flat Iron steakhouse group, with the clear ambition of creating the best pub in London’s West End.
(Our photo shows from left Oisin, head chef Jamie Guy, Ashley and Charlie in the upstairs dining room of The Devonshire.)
This week, days before the opening, it was revealed that the pair had recruited Ashley as the third founder and he has been working for months on a menu of revamped pub classics, including beef cheek and Guinness suet pudding, lamb hotpot and pea-and-ham soup.
Ashley made his name as Heston Blumenthal’s right-hand man over almost two decades, ending that role three years ago. Last month, he announced his comeback to fine dining with The Garden in outer-suburban Cobham, Surrey, due to open in early 2024 – which may be why he kept his involvement at The Devonshire under wraps.
The Soho pub is a substantial operation across three floors, with the capacity to serve as many as 300 customers. The upstairs restaurant centres on a three-metre-long wood-ember grill and has an on-site ageing chamber said to be the biggest in London, with space to store 5,000 steaks. Among the prime ingredients is Ibérico pork farmed by Brett Graham of The Ledbury in west London.
It all sounds pretty grand, but Charlie’s success with Flat Iron is grounded on selling steaks at competitive prices. He says of The Devonshire: “In the egalitarian spirit of Soho, we want great food and great times to be accessible to all, so day and night, the restaurant will always offer a set menu with three courses for less than £30.”
Oisin adds: “I have always thought I had the dream job, making people happy and serving beautiful pints and fantastic food, but I was always doing it for other people. Now, I finally have my own place and am working with brilliant partners in Charlie and Ash.”
