Cookery school for revamped Five Bells?

PLANS have been announced to reinvent the Five Bells in Belmont, Woodspeen, as a restaurant with adjoining pub and cookery school.

The man behind the venture is John Campbell, who won two Michelin stars for The Vineyard at Stockcross during his tenure there.The development encompasses the refurbishment and extension of the existing building plus the refurbishment and extension of the existing barn.
In their pitch to planners, the agents for applicants WSH and JC Restaurants Ltd - of which Mr Campbell is a director - said the intent is to “create a high quality pub and restaurant that combines the accessibility and warmth of a traditional pub with the provision of very high quality food in a purpose-designed restaurant and kitchen.”
They add: “The interiors of the building will be reconfigured and refurbished to create a series of compact and well finished spaces.
“In order to create the space required for a restaurant serving about 70 people, and its associated professional kitchen, the proposed design strategy is to create a new distinct building to the rear of the pub, connected to the existing building through a minimally detailed covered link.”
The statement continues: “To the south of the Lambourn Road, the strategy is to create a cookery school, with space for at least 12 students... we are proposing to upgrade the existing barn building by overcladding, allowing the existing scale and volume of the building to be retained. Additional space is created by adding a new building to the south of the barn.”
There are also plans for a vegetable garden on the site.
In 2002 John Campbell moved to The Vineyard at Stockcross as executive head chef and during his subsequent, eight year tenure, he secured a global reputation for the restaurant’s cuisine.
He also ran a successful academy for young chefs from all over the world and is known to be dedicated to the training and development of young chefs.