Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson finds a new and permanent home for his Michelin-starred restaurant Osip
Opening August 2024
This summer, Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson will welcome guests to his all-new restaurant and rooms, a complete reimagining of his original Osip. This move will further elevate Chef Merlin’s West Country field-to-plate philosophy.
Located in the heart of rural Somerset just outside the village of Bruton, team Osip has thoughtfully refurbished a 16th-century inn located just a few minutes' drive from the mainline train link at Castle Cary (or Bruton)—90 minutes from central London’s Paddington Station. The new venue is a larger, freehold site, allowing for an exciting evolution where Merlin is able to build on the foundations of Osip, extend his relationship with the land and enhance the guest experience. His new vision has attracted backing from investors Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis, who are already established London restaurateurs.
The kitchen at Osip doesn’t begin in the historic building but in the nearby fields that surround it. Almost all the produce used in Merlin’s menus is grown between two nearby farms and orchards. The commitment to sustainability, already among Osip’s core values, will remain a fundamental element. Biodynamic and seasonal availability determined by climate and not calendar will be at the heart of this West Country restaurant. Osip aims to open up conversations beyond the restaurant’s dining room so that guests can enjoy the connection to the land and the context of their menu.
Think freshly foraged native herbs that speak directly 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 emphasises this contact with nature. The cheese course is interpreted as a Fruit Toast topped with melted Tunworth Cheese, finished with honey and truffle, and followed by an intense melon and cucumber sorbet.
The beverage list extends Osip's philosophy. Wines from small-scale, sustainable growers join local spirits and traditional ciders like the annual Osip Cider, made with heritage apples, barrel-aged in collaboration with Martin Berkeley of Pilton Cider. Bespoke pairings are available on request. In addition, the sommelier and team produce their own in-house drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, such as sorrel and green apple juice and a soda prepared with blackcurrant leaf.
Merlin explains, “Each visit to the new Osip will change—the light, the season, the time of day. We are very proud of what we built at Number One Bruton, and I am excited to expand on our relationships and knowledge to offer our guests the warmest hospitality and dining experience I can.”
This new iteration of Osip is a passionate celebration of an immersion into a landscape and its people, creating a genuine sense of place.
The last service at Number One Bruton will be on June 30th. The new Osip will open at the beginning of August. Online bookings are now live.
Ends
Notes to the editor
Address: 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton, Ba10 0ln
Number of covers: 38
Opening hours:
Dinner only on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Website: https://osiprestaurant.com/
Instagram: @merlin_johnson | @osiprestaurant
For further media information, contact Cristiana Ferrauti at Lotus via email cristiana@lotusinternational.net or telephone +44 20 7751 5812
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Merlin Labron-Johnson
Growing up in the English county of Devon, Merlin’s culinary education began when he left school to train as a chef. He soon realised, however, that this training was being viewed through a distinctly British lens, and he left to gain experience overseas. Various positions and stagiaires followed, including at In de Wulf under Kobe Desramaults in Belgium. His short experience here had a seminal impact on him and one that would help define the direction of his own culinary style in later years. Wanting to explore this further, he accepted a permanent position at In de Wulf where he remained for two years, working his way through the ranks to his ultimate position as Kobe’s Sous Chef. Then, in 2014, Merlin was approached with a proposal to lead a project in London, and Portland was opened in the city’s West End. Nine months later, when he was just 24, Portland was awarded a Michelin star. A sister restaurant, Clipstone, followed in 2016, also gaining critical acclaim in its own right. By now, his cooking had been embraced by the public and press alike, but he missed the daily connection to the land and knew he wanted to create something less constrained. In 2019, Merlin left the city behind to open Osip in Somerset as his first solo venture. In 2021, the Michelin Guide Britain and Ireland awarded Osip its first Michelin Star, followed by a Green Star in 2023. Osip’s latest evolution is set to open its doors in Summer 2024. The project counts, among its investors, the support of Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith.
Interiors
Architects Bindloss Dawes has worked with team Osip to bring to life the historic building, from the ground-floor restaurant to the four bedrooms upstairs. Originally a coachhouse erected in the era of Elizabethan England, the architectural nuances of the historic building are injected with traditional elements that reflect its history, reimagined for a modern mood. Considered furniture pieces inspired by local traditions in Somerset reflect the location and contrast with more contemporary and bespoke elements.
Built-in window seats and the lines of free-standing modernist furniture are softened with upholstery covered in wool, leather and the finest traditional horsehair fabric from John Boyd Fabrics in Castle Cary. The bar was made locally from English walnut in the studio of Forest + Found, with shelves behind in cherry wood and mirror. The dining space at ground level boasts a view through the open kitchen over the garden and into the rolling fields beyond. The space encourages visitors to move gradually through as they would a gallery.
The gardens have been created by local, award-winning landscape design studio Urquhart and Hunt, using native plants to increase the health of the natural habitat. There is a separate garden where guests will also be able to experience the on-site Osip plant nursery. It’s here that some of the kitchen produce is brought to life before being transferred to the main farm. Visual art and contemporary craft will combine within the venue to produce installations that form dialogues between landscape, material and process.