Hampshire hotel Stanwell House to reopen its restaurant
Burcher & Co, the restaurant within Hampshire boutique hotel Stanwell House, is to reopen today following extensive refurbishment.
Burcher & Co's head chef Ben Johnson, who worked at the previous restaurant, has created a menu focused on tapas made with locally-sourced meats, cheese and fish, and contemporary main courses which have been designed to emphasise the ingredients' natural colours, textures and flavours.
The refurbishment work in the restaurant began in May, although the venue initially needed to work around any existing wedding bookings.
The restaurant's new name was chosen after a competition on Facebook asked customers to suggest titles. Stephen Westwater's winning suggestion recalls the hotel's former owner James Burcher, cousin to army general James Wolf, who spent his last night in the UK at Stanwell House ahead of his departure to fight in Quebec in 1759.
The hotel restaurant first became established as part of the Stanwell House hotel around 1945, when only local produce was available.
Commenting on the opening, Johnson said: "We have been planning this new venture for months and I have been designing the menu since January. I wanted the food to be contemporary and yet lend itself to the local area, as they would have had to in 1945, using all the rich natural resources."
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