The 14th-century Three Tuns pub on Henley’s Market Place is to reopen next week – under two friends who first joked about taking it over 25 years ago.
The new landlords are Barry Wagner – owner of Gabriel Machin, the butchers next door – and Nigel Sutcliffe, his long-time customer who also owns The Oarsman in Marlow.
The Oarsman’s Scottish head chef Scott Smith – a big fan of Fergus Henderson’s ‘nose-to-tail’ restaurant St John – has put together the new menu, which naturally showcases meat from Gabriel Machin.
Bar bites include lamb croquettes, grilled sausages with n’duja and shallots, and Cantabrian anchovies on toast. Starters range from devilled kidneys on toast to clams à la plancha, and Machin’s oak-smoked salmon with potato salad, while main courses feature a rotating ‘Butcher’s Board’ of cuts including lamb cutlets, bavette steak and a hefty 28oz côte du boeuf, all served with fries, rocket and Béarnaise.
The pub’s courtyard will host The Boat Shed, a more relaxed offshoot with a burger-focused menu.