Simon Bonwick to take over as chef patron of the Crown at Bray

Simon and Deborah Bonwick are set to take over the Crown at Bray from Nigel Sutcliffe and James McLean of Truffle Hunting at the end of this month.

It comes after Simon announced he will be leaving the Dew Drop Inn in Hurley in July 2024 after 18 months at the Brakspear-owned pub in Maidenhead, leaving his responsibilities to his son, Charlie.

He also confirmed he will continue to run his upstairs residence – the Troublesome Lodger – at the Oarsman Pub in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, also owned by Sutcliffe and McLean, which started last August.

The Bonwick family previously ran the Crown at Burchetts Green in Maidenhead for nine years, with several of Simon’s nine children working in the restaurant. It won a Michelin star in 2016 and the Michelin Welcome & Service Award in 2020.

They sold the business to chef Dominic Chapman in 2022 and briefly oversaw the Princess of Shoreditch pub in London before returning to the Maidenhead area to reopen the Dew Drop Inn in February 2023, which quickly gained a recommendation in the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023.

As chef patron of the Crown at Bray, Simon will close the pub in September to create Bouchon Bonwick, which will offer classical French cuisine with a selection of wines.

He said: “Everyone who knows us knows our connection to Bray; the call to adventure for us was too strong to ignore or turn away from. The Crown is steeped in our kind of historic charm, the kind of charm we love. We will make the ‘Bonwick’ mark here, which reflects beautiful cooking of the old religion, exceptional service, all bound together with super cleanliness.

Deborah added: “We are ready and excited to embark on this journey in the increasingly challenging pub environment. The pub industry remains alluring to us; the industry has continually shown its innovative excellence through the pandemic and has displayed fortitude through Brexit, a war, and a cost of living crisis. The only way for pubs through clear direction is upwards now, surely!”

Meanwhile, Sutcliffe is set to launch a new pub in Henley with butchers Gabriel Machin this May.