Simon Bonwick to join Princess of Shoreditch

Appointed by Noble Inns co-owner and operator Barry Weller, Bonwick will be taking over the kitchen from chef Ruth Hansom, who will be stepping away from Noble Inns for some time to undertake a series of stages at top restaurants in the UK.

Hansom said she was extremely proud of the success of the Princess of Shoreditch, which is the only pub in London with 3 AA rosettes and won the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award in the 2022 Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs.

She said: “I want to use this valuable time to learn new things and open my eyes to fresh ways of working that will help to keep my style of food relevant today and tomorrow and benefit me and everyone I work with.”

Distinctive style 

Weller added the pub company fully supported Hansom in her future endeavours, including an upcoming project with Noble Inns, and said the parting was with the operators blessing.

Hansom’s successor has been at the forefront of pub and restaurant dining for several years, most recently at his own gastropub, the Crown in Burchetts Green, Berkshire, which was sold last year.

Whilst at the Crown, Bonwick gained and maintained a Michelin star for seven years, won the Michelin Welcome and Service Award in 2020 and was listed in the NRA-Restaurant Awards UK Top 100.

He will be bringing his distinctive style and flair and, in line with the ethos of the Princess of Shoreditch, his love for top quality British ingredients, to develop a new offering at the pub, with a new a la carte menu to be introduced.

New chapter 

Bonwick said: “Barry and I go back twenty years and he is both a good family friend and passionate operator who understands pubs.

“We will continue to keep the ‘Bonwick standard’ in the new menu and be running through honest and unfussy dishes that will feature classic combinations, which focus firmly on the main ingredient.

“Sitting in the Princess, I already feel comfortable, and my family is excited for this new chapter.”