Chef James Martin to open two restaurants at the Lygon Arms hotel

Chef James Martin has partnered with the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds to open two restaurants – Grill and Tavern – in February and March 2023.

It follows Martin’s collaboration with the Kitchen Restaurant & Cookery School at the Lygon Arms’ sister hotel, Chewton Glen in Hampshire in 2017.

The Grill, which is located in a hall with vaulted ceilings at the Lygon Arms, will serve signature dishes such as Thai-spiced Cornish crab risotto; burnt aubergine, vegan ricotta, harissa, bulgur wheat and soft herbs; and British classics such as dry-aged Longhorn Beef Wellington.

Guests will also have the chance to order dishes “straight off the grill” as the name suggests, such as Market Fish of the Day ‘Your Way’.

In contrast, Tavern will offer an affordable selection of simple dishes such as the Lygon sausage roll with mustard, relish and pickles; a hot pork pie with fruity HP sauce; and shepherd’s pie.

Martin will host ‘Dinners with James Martin’, which will celebrate wine-paired dishes from the season, and is also set to oversee the breakfast menu at the hotel.

“Breakfast is such an important meal to get right. We are going to great lengths to find the perfect sausage, bacon and all the trimmings for our guests’ breakfast plate," said Martin.

Both the Lygon Arms and Chewton Glen are part of the Iconic Luxury Hotels Group, which also includes Cliveden House in Berkshire and 11 Cadogan Gardens in London.

Andrew Stembridge, executive director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, said: “Both our team and James have a shared outlook for what we see as the culinary future at the Lygon Arms; one which will incorporate fabulous, top-quality ingredients from the best suppliers.

“Ultimately James is exceptionally talented when it comes to creating fun and atmospheric dining experiences and I am sure his involvement with the Lygon Arms will take everything to the next level.”

Martin also runs an eponymous restaurant in Manchester and was behind the relaunch of the SpudUlike jacket potato brand.