April 1st (it’s no April Fool!) saw the opening of a brand new restaurant at Backwell House on Farleigh Road: a 9-bedroom Georgian House hotel that’s been listed in The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 Hotels.
Open from Wednesday to Sunday and taking bookings for both lunch and dinner, the new restaurant is overseen by head chef Josh Hutson, formerly of Bristol’s The Victoria Park pub. Josh’s food is very ingredient-driven and works entirely within the micro seasons, letting produce speak for itself: on the menu (you can see March’s menu here) you’ll find plenty of British produce which is sustainably grown and locally sourced.
Since Backwell House opened in July 2016, the team have hosted a series of sell-out “Backwell Banquets”, and now feel that the time is right to open a restaurant. The first banquet was a Sri Lankan feast cooked by Jon Lewis ahead of his book launch, followed by The Huntsman Suppers from Andy Spooner of the Full Spoon, and plenty of Christmas festivities.
The hotel itself is just 15 minutes’ drive from Bristol, and has 9 double en-suite bedrooms, all decorated with antique finds, reclaimed timber and featuring vintage bathtubs. The Sunday Times described Backwell House as having “inventive upcycling…[including] the old kitchen floor, which was painstakingly sliced into tiny squares and used to create an amazing bar counter, and vintage suitcases that have been filled with concrete and transformed into industrial-chic basins. The nine bedrooms share the design ethos, with reclaimed timbers and reconditioned copper bathtubs.”
Bookings can be made by calling 0117 325 1110 or emailing enquiries@backwellhouse.co.uk