Michelin chef takes on Brakspear pub

Head chef and licensee Duncan Ray, who has 15 years’ experience of working in Michelin-starred restaurants in England and France has turned his hand to the pub trade, taking on the Five Alls in Filkins, Gloucestershire.

When Ray, partner Manoli Gonzalez, who is manager and also licensee, and two other investors took the tenancy on it was in poor condition. The pub underwent a major top to bottom refurbishment funded by both Ray and Brakspear and opened in August.

“It was an uphill struggle at first but now it is quite steady,” said Ray, who began marketing in the last few weeks. “Most people in the village are just realising we are here.”

The four letting bedrooms have been restyled as individual boutique rooms and are running at 70% occupancy. The pub is serving up to 120 covers a week, which Ray anticipates increasing to 40 to 50 a day when the venue becomes more established. It is open Tuesday to Sunday afternoon.

“We offer my kind of food from my background, which has been solely in Michelin-starred restaurants,” said Ray. The pub is offering a four, four, four menu of modern French-English cookery with a leaning towards British.

“We are here to make a stamp for the Five Alls. Word is travelling fast and people are coming from far afield based on recommendations.”

Ray has worked at L’Ortolan in Shinfield, Berkshire, the Fat Duck with Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire and was head chef at the Latymer Restaurant in the prestigious Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa in Bagshot, Surrey, which had three AA rosettes while he was there.

He also started his own fine dining catering company Exquisite in 2005.