Former Ramsay operations director launches Igniting Hospitality group with first pub to open in Surrey
Former Gordon Ramsay Group and JKS operations director Simon King has launched Igniting Hospitality with the company's first pub, the Victoria in Oxshott, Surrey, to open in July.
The group has brought Matt Larcombe, former head chef and general manager of Heston Blumenthal's Crown at Bray in Berkshire, on board as chef-director.
The menu at the Victoria will include starters such as crumpet topped with truffled Baron Bigod and fresh mushrooms, and beer-battered native oysters with seaweed mayonnaise. Mains will include brill cooked with St Austell bay mussels, parsley, garlic, and salt-baked baby potatoes; and free-range heritage pork chop, smoked Hispi cabbage and mashed potato with roast pork sauce. Desserts will include apple tarte tatin for two to share or Valrhona chocolate parfait with baked white chocolate, olive oil and milk ice-cream, paired with a Montecappone Vino e Visciole NV.
A charcoal grill has been added to the kitchen with bavette to salt-aged tomahawk available, served with roasted onion, beef dripping chips and Bordelaise sauce. Also cooked on the grill will be wild turbot with burnt butter, shrimps, capers and pickled lemon; and a whole roasted heritage cauliflower with basil, chickpeas made to share.
The wine list has been curated by master sommelier Michael Engelmann, previously of the Modern in New York and Rockpool in Sydney, while the in-house bar team have put together a selection of seasonally driven cocktails.
The pub, a former White Brasserie Company site, has been redesigned by Kanvass. The two private dining rooms will accommodate six or eight people while a paved area will offer the option of alfresco dining.
