The incredible team at Five Little Pigs in Wallingford have taken on The Bear of North Moreton in South Oxfordshire and hope to open by Christmas!
Executive chef Aimee Hunt was busy painting the dining room of the the 16th century inn when we catch up, desperately renovating the historic pub in time for the festive season.
“I knew we could make it work. It has so much potential, and the village is incredible, it’s such an amazing community, just like Wallingford”
She and her fellow business partners Rob McGregor and Sam Smith, have always wanted a second site, so when the landlord of The Bear invited them to take on a 10 year lease at the freehouse, they jumped at the chance.
“We have kept our eyes open for our next challenge so when The Bear approached us it almost seemed like fate because Sam and Rob have history there. Sam used to work at The Bear when he was younger and Rob met his future wife there,” Aimee explains.
And what did Aimee think when she first saw The Bear? “I thought it had good bones and the right feel, and I knew we could make it work. It has so much potential, and the village is incredible, it’s such an amazing community, just like Wallingford,” she says.
The trio have made such a big impression on Oxfordshire’s culinary scene since opening 18 months ago through community funding, their tenure at Five Little Pigs legendary, with awards, reviews and plaudits aplenty, so it seemed like a natural progression to expand. read about it here
Food will obviously be foremost in their minds, the Five Little Pigs’ ethos of local produce, seasonality and sustainability continuing in North Moreton, but will pub food be a challenge for Aimee? read our review here
“There is a pressure to succeed and it’s scary when so many hospitality businesses are closing, but it feels like we are supposed to be here”
“It will certainly be different so I’ll be cooking pub classics in a way that makes me happy,” she said. “Pub food has a bad reputation and I want to do something about that by using as many local suppliers as possible and making the produce shine.”
And well as being 550 years old with seating for 50, The Bear also boasts a large plot of land where the team plan to start growing fruit and veg as soon as possible. “We are surrounded by so many amazing suppliers here” Aimee agrees.
“We know its going to be hard but we are all grafters and we are up to the challenge”
The pub also has rooms upstairs, but the team are putting them on hold until the spring, while they get the downstairs, bar, kitchens and restaurant ready for December.
And yet with the economy and hospitality industry looking so bleak, the trio naturally have concerns. “There is a pressure to succeed and of course it’s quite scary when so many hospitality businesses are closing, but it feels like we are supposed to be here.
“us opening The bear has been the worst kept secret in South Oxfordshire”
“We know its going to be hard but we are all grafters and we are up to the challenge and we have such an amazing team at The Five Little Pigs, so I will be here for 3-6 months training up a new team and making sure it’s all running smoothly and then I’ll split my time between the two,” Aimee says.
As for an opening date, Aimee says they’ve learned from their mistakes and wouldn’t commit to a specific day yet, “although it’s been the worst kept secret in South Oxfordshire” she laughs, so watch this space.
However, if Five Little Pigs is anything to go by, Aimee, Sam and Rob’s latest venture looks set to be another roaring success despite the current climate, and we can’t wait to get down there and try it out for ourselves.
For more information on The Bear of North Moreton, visit www.thebearofnorthmoreton.co.uk
