In the next chapter of his gastronomic exploration of a field-to-plate philosophy, Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson has uprooted and relocated his Michelin-starred restaurant, Osip.
Heading to Somerset’s hilly surrounds you’ll now find Osip just outside of Bruton. A place of rural idyll whatever the season, it proved to be the perfect next step to strengthen Osip’s, and Chef Merlin’s, connection to the land.
“I worked in London earlier on in my career but I missed having a personal connection to the land, and the energy of the countryside. That’s why the new Osip had to be a full expression of nature.” Chef Merlin tells enki.
We chat to Chef Merlin to find out more about Osip’s evolution into nature, how the experience for guests goes beyond the restaurant (as well as four new rooms, more on this below!), and dishes to tease your tastebuds.
What do you love most about being a chef?
“I see myself as a farmer who cooks. With Osip being so immersed in our local environment we are able to create menus that provide a complete sense of place. As a result, our dishes reflect the ever-changing weather, our relationships within the local community, and the seasonal produce of our gardens. That is what I love about being a chef, cooking what we have cultivated ourselves on the land we nurture.”
What kind of dishes can guests expect to find?
“The main menu will follow the same format as the original Osip but will feel more experiential, further connected with the ever-changing seasons. The main difference will be the optional signature dishes that we have perfected over the years such as the Squid and lardo sausage, vin jaune with black truffle. These will generally be larger sharing plates with a focus on the traditional cookery techniques that I learnt in France and Switzerland.”
“Of course, there will be a presentation of West Country flavours. Dishes of herb broth are served with crudités of farm vegetables and tempura potato, salted egg yolk and chives. Gnudi with peas, broad beans and smoked whey sauce or the potato brioche brushed with lamb fat, whipped butter, and cured lamb heart.”
Your favourite Osip dish?
“One of the dishes from the new restaurant I love is the Ricotta dumpling, yellow courgette and smoked whey.”
How does Osip consider sustainability?
“Our kitchen starts in the nearby fields where 85% of the produce used is grown between our two farms and orchards. These are biodynamic, with the harvest and foraging dictated by what nature has permitted – with no two seasons ever comparable neither are our menus. For us it is essential that all our team, both kitchen and front-of-house, are able to spend time working alongside our farmers in the fields. In addition, we are a low-meat restaurant, any that we do use is organic meat from a local farm in the nearby Quantock Hills. We take only whole animals or birds and prepare the meat in-house to minimise waste.”
Why is this important to you as a chef?
“I value the level of care that goes into the whole process when sustainability is properly considered. From the moment the seed is planted to the enjoyment of the final dish, each ingredient is attentively researched and sourced, supported by the expertise and knowledge of the people working our farms and our connection with them.”
“These sustainable practices make the experience quite rare and luxurious. It’s a different concept and approach in comparison with what we may conventionally consider luxurious, like using ingredients such as caviar. The care and curation of our dining experience starts from its very inception, in the field, up to the bespoke ceramic dishes it is served on, and ultimately to the enjoyment of our guests. That’s the ultimate goal, always: the happiness of the people who visit us and care for the land that we are nurturing.”
Can you tell us about Osip’s beverage selection?
“The beverage list is another extension of our philosophy. Wines from small-scale, sustainable growers join local spirits and traditional ciders like our annual Osip Cider, made with Somerset apples, barrel-aged in collaboration with Martin Berkeley of Pilton Cider. In addition, we have our own in-house drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, such as sorrel and green apple juice and a soda prepared with blackcurrant leaf.”
What are you most looking forward to with the new opening?
“The growth in space, certainly. Being in a larger kitchen will allow our cuisine to evolve naturally with a lot more space for development and trying things we wouldn’t have been able to before. We will also be cooking a lot more over open fire, both inside and outside so I am really interested to see how that influences the way we cook over time. Also, the four beautiful bedrooms that will open above the restaurant. The experience will include a walk around our wildflower meadow and a visit to the tea house followed by dinner and then a digestif by the fire to end the evening.”
How would you describe the restaurant’s atmosphere?
“Osip opens up the conversation beyond the restaurant of how guests experience the energy. I think being stationed out in the fields, closer to nature and the land where we grow our vegetables will have a huge natural impact on our cooking and the way the space is experienced.”
Website & bookings: osiprestaurant.com
Opening hours: Dinner only on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Address: 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton, BA10 OLN
Instagram: @osiprestaurant | @merlin_johnson
Photos: Dave Watts | Maureen M.Evans
In the mood for more culinary and design news on enki? Click here to read about KOTO’s new Garden Rooms at Moor Hall, sharing a plot with Mark Birchall’s two Michelin-starred restaurant.
