Matt Edmonds of Searcys and Pennyhill Park joins Grantley Arms as head chef
Matt Edmonds, previously from Searcys' the Gherkin, Pennyhill Park under Michael Wignall and London's Royal Automobile Club is now head chef at the Grantley Arms pub in Wonersh, Surrey.
The Grade II-listed building, which used to be a bakery and dates back to 1590, has made the appointment following its purchase by new owners Richard Cryer and Chris Frederick, and subsequent renovation including the restoration of the original wooden beams and fireplaces.
Edmonds was a bronze medal Culinary World Cup winner for 2010 and 2014, and also acts as a mentor for the Craft Guild of Chefs. His career also includes senior roles at the Army and Navy Club in Mayfair, and the four-star Mandeville hotel in Marylebone.
He has now created new menus for the casual bar and more formal dining restaurant, using seasonal British produce. The current menu features ingredients such as South Downs hay-smoked venison with blackberries and pan-fried Cornish halibut with braised lentils and carrot purée. Bread and butter are made in-house daily, and micro herbs are also grown on site.
The drinks menu will feature a wide range of English wines in support of the growing industry. It will be overseen by Plamen Yankov, who has worked at DSTRKT, the Mandeville hotel and Searcys' the Royal Opera House.
Frederick said: "We want this pub to be a central part of village life again and that means both popping in for a glass of wine and reading the papers with the dog at the weekend; and enjoying a three-course meal. We really wanted to create a place we could enjoy for all occasions."
