Osip
An interview with Merlin Labron-Johnson
Photography by Ariana Ruth
Where did your love of cooking first start?
My love of cooking started at secondary school, I would help the cook prepare lunch for my co-students in exchange for free meals. I didn’t care much for academia at that time and felt most comfortable in a kitchen.
Where did you get the idea to open Osip?
It had been a long-held dream of mine to open a restaurant in the middle of nowhere. What Osip has now become is an evolution of different ideas that have come to fruition in the current space but the overarching idea was relatively simple: small restaurant, small kitchen, homegrown produce and a few rooms for overnight stays. I wanted people to feel like we were welcoming them into our home for an evening.
Do you have a specific ethos when it comes to what you serve on your menu?
Yes, what we grow dictates what we cook so our menu is a reflection of a time and a place in rural Somerset. We serve a selection of dishes which are mostly vegetarian with a bit of wild game or poultry because that is what’s available to us. How frequently we’ll change a dish will depend on the quantity of what’s being produced and of course, the seasons. Basically, I know it sounds incredibly pretentious when I say it outloud but I think it’s fair to say that ‘nature’ writes our menu!
What has been the biggest surprise for you in this new venture?
I think the biggest surprise was how much we’ve been supported and welcomed by the local community and also how open people have been to the rather unique nature of our little project. We are a restaurant with no actual menu where you pay in advance to come and be cooked for and you don’t really know what’s going to happen.
During lockdown many chefs had to change gears a bit, what were some of the new projects that came out of that time for you?
We did a box scheme to support our local farmers. We also did an online shop, a pop up bakery and eventually a takeaway business too. I also started to cultivate two plots of land on which we planted vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. I learnt a lot during lockdown!
What are some of your favourite dishes to cook at home?
Roast chicken, gratin of potatoes or vegetables, cakes, pies and stews. I like comfort food and take great pleasure in taking time to do something very simple, very well. Call me old fashioned (or just old!) but there’s nothing I find more relaxing than pouring myself a nice glass of wine, playing a bit of music and braising a nice venison stew.
Working in the countryside you must have some really inspiring local makers and growers at your fingertips, are there any that you can share with our readers?
I never get bored of going to Westcombe Dairy to taste their cheeses and the incredible charcuterie they make with local Tamworth pigs. I also have a great affection for cider and local makers Pilton (Martin Berkeley) and Wilding (Sam and Becky) are particularly impressive. The Bartlett brothers who have Wootton Organic Dairy near Shepton Mallet are doing some wonderful things with Jersey milk and sheep’s milk too.
If you were able to go on a food holiday anywhere in the world, where would you want to go? Japan.
Is there a particular cuisine that you love to cook?
Good, classic, old fashioned French.
What are some of your future plans for Osip?
I’ve loved growing produce in my gardens over the last few months so I’m excited by the idea of acquiring more land, to grow even more interesting crops and perhaps even make my own cider too. I’d also like to make our restaurant more comfortable and perhaps even reduce the capacity slightly so that we can give our guests an even more magical experience.
Name a few of your favourite places to eat.
In the UK, I like Coombeshead Farm, Ikoyi, Brawn, The Clove Club and River Cafe. Abroad: La Grenouillère, Le Clos des Sens, Flocons de Sel and L’Astrance (all in France), and Asador Etxebarri in San Sebastian. A place in the middle of nowhere in Ibiza that just does steak called Balafia, I could go on...
Osip
Bruton, UK
osiprestaurant.com
1 High St
Bruton
BA10 0AB
United Kingdom
