Get a taste of Woodspeen's history at new village restaurant

MICHELIN starred chef John Campbell has ‘come back home’ and will open the doors to a piece of Woodspeen’s history this month, as he opens a new bar and restaurant in the building formerly home to the Five Bells.

Mr Campbell, who won two of the renowned Michelin stars during his eight-year stint at nearby Stockcross hotel The Vineyard, has undertaken his first, entirely solo project in this latest restaurant, The Woodspeen, a project which has taken two years to come to fruition.

It will officially open on October 29, with soft openings from tonight (Weds), as a 66 cover restaurant and 18-seater bar. Walking into the historic building, which dates from 1827, patrons will be greeted with views of the rolling hills of the West Berkshire countryside through floor to ceiling glass panels, as well as an abundance of natural light which floods through a skylight the length of the restaurant room.

When asked why he had chosen Woodspeen as the location, Mr Campbell, a regular guest chef on the television programmes Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef, said: “You know when you go somewhere and it just feels like home?

“I have lived in Poland, Geneva, London, France. I was born in the countryside, and here feels just...great.

“I know the area, I know the suppliers, I know the customers. It makes sense.

“I’m glad this is where we are. I’m incredibly excited.” He said that preserving the historic character of the former pub was crucial in the restoration project, which has also seen an extension to the rear of the building to accommodate the restaurant, the installation of an open kitchen and external landscaping works to create a carpark and al fresco dining area.

“The property is very old,” he said. “It was tired, it needed a good look after.

“What we were mindful of was ruining the original building and to have respect...it has been part of this community for 200 years.”

Meanwhile, in addition to growing its own fruit and vegetables in an on-site vegetable patch, The Woodspeen will also source as many ingredients as possible from local producers and suppliers.

Across the road, Mr Campbell is also opening a cookery school in a converted nineteenth century barn, for people of all cooking abilities, from a beginners bread course to teaching the masters of pastry.

The facility will also be used in the future to run workshops for local schools, and for charitable ventures such as teaching young mothers how to cook quick, easy and fresh meals.

The cookery school will open on December 1.