You can expect some Caribbean influences, an exciting new menu and a pop up with famous chef Ollie Dabbous when you next visit esteemed Cotswold gastropub The Feathered Nest, now that Rene Pinedo is at the helm.
One of Rene’s first moves, since being appointed head chef, is to invite former boss Ollie Dabbous to co-host a pop up six-course tasting menu with him on March 27: “Ollie has always been such a big inspiration to me and I’m so grateful for the knowledge I gained when I worked with him at Dabbous,” Rene says.
Yes, Rene has quite a CV, having begun his career at the esteemed Restaurant Rozemarijn in Holland before moving to the UK and working at top culinary venues such as Oxfordshire’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Dabbous.
“My passion for cooking came from my mum. I’m from the Caribbean and growing up she always brought our family and friends together through food. She was a total inspiration to me”
But now the 27-year-old is now ready to make his mark in Nether Westcote. So what brings Rene to this part of the world? “When I first visited the Cotswolds and saw the stunning location and views at The Feathered Nest I immediately knew I wanted to make it my home. It really is so beautiful,” he says.
“But I am also incredibly lucky that owner, Adam Taylor, recognised my passion and vision and promoted me to Head Chef. He also gave me the freedom to take inspiration from my Caribbean roots, with a new focus on fresh seafood and open grill cooking,” Rene says.
“I am incredibly lucky that owner Adam Taylor recognised my passion and vision and gave me the freedom to take inspiration from my Caribbean roots”
The talented chef hails from Curaçao, and says it was his mother’s food which led him to cheffing in the first place: “My passion for cooking came from my mum. I’m from the Caribbean and growing up she always brought our family and friends together through food. She was a total inspiration to me, and because of her, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a chef,” Rene says.
So what can we expect? “I want to put my own stamp on the menu – to make it more accessible, whatever the occasion, so it’s all about flavour, staying true to the seasons and a more ‘sharing-style’ approach,” he promises.
the fish course is grilled lobster with toasted peppercorns, pickled rose petals and pandan leaf broth
As for the six course taster menu with Ollie Dabbous, Rene says: “We have worked on a collaborative menu for the pop up to showcase the best that Hide (Ollie’s lastest restaurant and bar) and The Feathered Nest have to offer.”
The six-course tasting menu will feature a beetroot tartlet with ricotta, spices and marigold, then slow cooked crispy pork belly with cabbage roulette, seasoned with kimchi and pancetta. Next up is a fish course of grilled lobster with toasted peppercorns, pickled rose petals and pandan leaf broth, the meat course is venison saddle cooked on the Konro ( a Japanese grill), white chocolate parsnip purée, Jerusalem artichoke, cavalonero and pearl barley.
For dessert – olive oil panna cotta with blood orange and to finish, a popcorn and caramel religieuse served with a cocktail, and each course can be accompanied by a wine pairing from Hedonism Wines.
The Ollie Dabbous pop up is £125, with wine pairing an extra £95. Go to https://thefeatherednestinn.co.uk for more info or to book a table.
