Former Racine chef patron Henry Harris to open three new London pubs

Henry Harris, former Racine chef patron, and James McCulloch, owner of the Harcourt in Marylebone, have announced a collaboration which will see the launch of three new pubs.

 

Harris and McCulloch will reopen Hero of Maida - formerly Truscott Arms - in Maida Vale, the Coach in Clerkenwell and Three Cranes in the City. While the menu in each pub will have French and British influences, all three sites will have their own distinct personalities, looks and styles.

 

The Three Cranes will open this month on Lower Thames Street. It will have a short menu that champions grilled specialties, such as Barnsley lamb chops, steaks, and veal cutlets.

 

In January 2018 the Coach is expected to launch. Menu items include duck confit with lentil, walnut and beetroot salad or poached brill with violet artichokes and monksbeard.

 

Following in February 2018, the Hero of Maida will be serve light food in the ground-floor space, with a first-floor dining room serving a more developed menu. On Sundays it will offer roasts, including seven-hour slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with rosemary, alongside traditional British roast beef with all the trimmings.

 

Harris will oversee the kitchens of the new sites. He said: "‘I'm excited to be back in the kitchen. I see myself more as admiral of the fleet than chef-director, but it's a great feeling to be planning great menus for each of these dining rooms with these excellent new teams."

 

Harris started his career at Karl Loderer's Michelin-starred restaurant Manleys in Storrington, Sussex. He later graduated from the Leith's School of Food and Wine where he was introduced to Simon Hopkinson. In 1987 Hopkinson opened Bibendum with Harris alongside him as head chef.

 

He then went on to work as executive chef of Harvey Nichols' Fifth Floor restaurant before opening his own restaurant, Racine in Knightsbridge, ten years later.

 

Racine was sold in2015. Today, Harris is chef director of Harcourt Inns.
Harcourt Inns, established by McCulloch, is responsible for the purchase of Three Cranes, the Coach, and Hero of Maida.

 

McCulloch said he bought the sites in order to "save and preserve" the "noteworthy properties from being converted into real estate or nondescript chains."

 

He added: "We originally asked Henry to join as a consultant, but thanks to our mutual desire to create noteworthy pubs with exceptional dining, we invited him to become a partner so we can all work together to create genuinely special establishments."

 

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