upscale doesn’t mean exclusive
This part of the country is lucky when it comes to food. There’s no shortage of good pub cooking around here; places that do the classics well, serve generous plates, and feel woven into daily life. That’s something I genuinely admire. A strong local food scene raises expectations, and rightly so.
Before joining Heritage Inns, I spent years as an executive chef at a high-end estate, cooking in a very different environment. The standards were exacting, the ingredients exceptional, and the focus was always on detail, from how a sauce was finished to how a dish arrived at the table. It taught me discipline, consistency, and the value of restraint. You don’t need to overwork food when the fundamentals are right.
Bringing that experience into a pub kitchen is what excites me most. Our aim isn’t to reinvent pub food or compete head-on with the excellent places already here. Instead, we offer something more considered: familiar dishes approached with the mindset of a higher-end kitchen. Better sourcing. More care in preparation. A little more finesse on the plate.
Being more upscale doesn’t mean being exclusive or formal. It means respecting the ingredients enough to let them shine, cooking with intention, and creating dishes that feel balanced and confident rather than overworked. The food should feel comforting and recognisable, but elevated. The kind of meal you remember not because it was flashy, but because it was done properly.
Working in a restored pub brings its own responsibility. These kitchens have always been places of nourishment and connection, and that shouldn’t be lost. What we’re doing is building on that foundation — combining the warmth and accessibility of a pub with the standards and attention to detail I’ve carried with me from fine-dining and estate kitchens.
In an area already full of good food, our role is to add another layer. To offer dining that feels thoughtful and refined, while still belonging firmly to its surroundings. A place where locals feel at home, visitors feel well looked after, and the food reflects both the history of the building and the care that’s gone into bringing it back to life.
- Stuart, Head of Catering and Chef at Heritage Inns and The Wheatsheaf