Chef Simon Bonwick has announced his latest move – a residency at The Oarsman bistro/pub in Marlow, where he will be cooking solo for up to 12 guests seated at a communal table in an upstairs private dining room.

Bookings are available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7.30pm from September 5, plus lunch on the last Thursday of each month. Cooking in a “shoebox” kitchen, Simon is promising “all the magic modern classical food without too many frills, yet heaps of flavour that a classical cuisine offer – a cuisine of the old culinary religion“.

His ‘Choisi’ set menu will be accompanied by The Oarsman’s “phantasmagorical” wine list, created by Simon’s old friend Nigel Sutcliffe, who opened the pub with James Mclean in 2021.

Simon said: “Nigel and I have known each other for ages, and he has kindly given me a space to create, hang my art and make a home for my cooking.

“We’ve made the upstairs at The Oarsman into a proper nice little bougie pad. I’m madly excited to be cooking solo again and am looking forward to this new challenge. These soirees promise to be intimate, exclusive and luxurious. The shared table concept is new to me – I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves.”

Simon is best known for his 11-year reign at The Crown in Burchetts Green near Maidenhead, where he won multiple awards. Since leaving three years ago he has had shorter stints at the Princess of Shoreditch and the Dew Drop Inn in Hurley. On his Instagram he styles himself as “Family Man” and “Troublesome Lodger” – references to his eight children and, presumably, his fast turn-over of residencies since leaving the Crown.