Chef and restaurateur Mike Robinson to open The Woodsman in Stratford-upon-Avon
Mike Robinson, restaurateur and co-owner of the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in Fulham, is set to open The Woodsman in Stratford-upon-Avon in Spring 2019. Showcasing Robinson’s passion for British produce and sustainable wild food, the restaurant and bar will be in boutique Hotel Indigo Stratford-upon-Avon, a fully restored building dating back as far as 1500.
As Executive Chef, Robinson will be working with Head Chef Jon Coates to bring his core ‘field to fork’ philosophy to The Woodsman, delivering an exceptional dining experience with a focus on sustainability, seasonality and locally-sourced produce. A large wood-fired oven and charcoal grill will form the focal point of the restaurant, where guests can watch chefs as they prepare the finest British deer, wild boar, beef and Hebridean lamb; all raised on farms with the highest standards of husbandry. Fish will be sourced from the leading Cornish fisheries, while the very best Evesham vegetables and wild herbs from the kitchen garden will complement all dishes.
Signature dishes will include Cotswold fallow deer pavé and ‘suet pudding’ peppercorn sauce, as well as Slow-cooked and glazed shoulder of roe deer, Vicars smoked bacon, caramelised turnips and black pudding with smoked bone marrow. All deer will be directly sourced from Robinson’s venison business, Robinson Wild Foods, which has handled deer carcasses right from the field all the way to restaurant kitchens for over fifteen years. The Woodsman will also house an on-site butchery, meaning every part of the farm to fork process is managed by Robinson and his team. For those who wish to dine in true British tradition, a theatrical and tapestried Feasting Room will be available for hire, complete with a long central table and butchers’ blocks for whole carcasses to be served in front of guests.
Meanwhile, Sunday lunch at The Woodsman will epitomise the ethos of the restaurant: comfort, conviviality and premium produce. Friends and family can feast on ribs of beef on the bone or chunks of sirloin barded with smoked bone marrow, both ordered by the 100g. Sharing dishes will also be on offer to promote a sense of togetherness, with options including Yorkshire puddings filled with braised meat and onions, as well as the signature Dirty mash: an outrageous mixture of super rich mash, braised oxtail, lardons, crisp onions and English truffle.
Head Chef Jon Coates comments, “I wanted to design a menu and service style that creates an atmosphere I would want to experience myself. I’m excited to return to a traditional, rustic style of cooking that creates hearty dishes that bring people together.”
Beyond The Woodsman, Robinson and Coates will also oversee The Falcon, the hotel’s original tearoom complete with Shakespearean wood panelling. Set to open in April 2019, here guests will be able to enjoy a selection of sweet and savoury treats paired with a range of champagnes. In the evening, The Falcon bar will offer a seasonally rotating cocktail list which pays homage to the perennial Tudor garden and woodland motifs of Shakespeare.
The interiors of The Woodsman and The Falcon Tearoom and Cocktail bar have been overseen by Robinson and designer Louise Walker and aim to unite the contemporary with the building’s original Shakespearean glory. Period features, such as oak beams dating back to 1621 and traditional brick fireplaces, will be paired with modern furnishings and natural colours to create a rural and convivial feel reflective of the food and drink offering.
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Notes to editors
The Woodsman
Hotel Indigo Stratford-upon-Avon
4 Chapel St
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6HA
Instagram: @thewoodsmanrestaurant
About Mike Robinson:
Mike Robinson, restaurateur and co-owner of the Michelin-starred Harwood Arms in Fulham, is one of the UK’s most respected game chefs. Studying forestry management at Bangor University, Robinson’s love of the outdoors saw him travel to the French Alps to follow his passion for mountain climbing, where he began his restaurant career as a dish washer in a kitchen. Fast forward throughout dozens of TV appearances and numerous successful cookbooks, and Robinson is now the proud owner of Robinson Wild Foods, which has handled deer carcasses right from the field all the way to restaurant kitchens for over fifteen years. Bringing his expertise to The Woodsman this spring, the Executive Chef’s passion for wild British food will be reflected in all the fare on offer.
About Jon Coates:
A chef by profession since 2000, Jon Coates brings a wealth of culinary experience to his role as Head Chef at The Woodsman. From humble beginnings as a Commis Chef in Turners Restaurant, London, to opening Australian restaurant Dickie Fitz as Head Chef managing a team of 12 chefs and 120+ covers per day, Jon’s career progression within the restaurant industry has been vast. Jon has also been flown to a number of countries as a private chef for high-profile clients and has catered for members of the Russian Olympic team, as well as leading a pop-up restaurant at the Royal Academy of Arts in Mayfair, London, and working in well-reputed restaurants such as Michelin-starred The Greenhouse in London and Michelin three-starred Per Se in New York.
About Robinson Wild Foods:
For over fifteen years Robinson Wild Foods has supplied the finest fully sustainable wild venison to restaurants across The Cotswolds, Home Counties and London. Chef Mike Robinson began by managing wild deer over small areas of land and all the deer he harvested was consumed nose to tail at his restaurants. Nothing has changed since then except that the team now manage deer over 40,000 acres of private land across Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Gloucestershire. Whereas most regular game dealers buy deer from hunters prior to being skinned and sold, with Robinson Wild Foods, the team handle the carcass right from the field all the way to the restaurants’ kitchens.
Mike and colleagues have recently set up the Owl Barn Larder on the outskirts of Cirencester from which the recently culled deer carcasses are processed and packaged in order to distribute.