Simon Bonwick swaps Princess of Shoreditch for Maidenhead pub

Simon and Deborah Bonwick have left the Princess of Shoreditch in London to take on Brakspear pub the Dew Drop Inn in Hurley, Maidenhead.

The site, which dates to the 16th century, has a “tiny” bar and around 20 covers in the dining room and is expected to reopen this month. The menu will change seasonally and offer Simon Bonwick’s “creative expression of country pub cooking”, with him cooking alone in the kitchen.

Deborah Bonwick said: “After one year off, we are ready, excited to go again in this increasingly challenging environment.

“The pub industry remains alluring to us, it’s continually shown its innovative excellence through the pandemic, and has continued to display fortitude through Brexit, a war and now a recession. The rural pub can’t be lost.

“The Dew Drop Inn has been positively nagging away at the two of us for years, everything about it is beautiful, as the new guardians we will build on its location and local community in our particular way.”

Bonwick took over as head chef at the Princess of Shoreditch last summer following the departure of Ruth Hansom. He was previously chef-patron at Michelin-starred the Crown in Burchetts Green, which won a star in 2016. He and his family left the Crown in 2021, announcing at the time that they were looking for new opportunities, and sold the venue to Dominic Chapman.