This autumn, the team behind the acclaimed restaurants, The Shed and Rabbit will launch a new project in the heart of Battersea. Brought to London by talented brothers, Richard, Oliver and Gregory Gladwin, Nutbourne will be an all-day brasserie and grill serving breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch and dinner and aimed at the local community to enjoy all the spoils of the English countryside.
Situated in the historic restaurant site of Ransome’s Dock, Nutbourne takes its name from the Gladwins’ family farm and vineyard in West Sussex, well known for its award-winning English wine, and will offer guests a true taste of rural life with all-British ingredients used throughout. The restaurant will have an idyllic waterside location with seating looking out over the water and a 40-cover outside space complete with tree palms, festoon lighting, water troughs, a vine from the vineyard itself, lush foliage and lily pads.
Nutbourne will be supplied with produce from the farm that the brothers grew up on and that Gregory now runs, supplemented by seasonal, sustainable produce from local suppliers or foraged in the wilds. Richard, who before opening The Shed in Notting Hill in 2012 and Rabbit in Chelsea 2014, worked in several notable restaurants such as Bunga Bunga, has worked alongside creative chef Oliver to devise the restaurant’s concept and will oversee everything with the help of friendly faces such as General Manager, Theo Harris, who has been part of the team since the early days of The Shed.
This third project signals a real turning point for the Gladwins, with the all-day dining and open grill concept. Previously known and well loved for their signature small sharing plates, Oliver has created a more classic menu offering everything from breakfast dishes to large mains from the open grill which will warm the 65-cover restaurant in winter and create an open BBQ atmosphere in the summer months.
Nutbourne will open its doors from 8am, catering for weekday breakfast meetings and leisurely all-day weekend brunches. Diners can enjoy a ‘Full English’ of Sausages, Sweet Cured Bacon and Black Pudding all made from Nutbourne livestock and served with homemade sourdough brioche. Lighter options will include: Suffolk Quinoa, Chia Porridge and Palm Syrup and Trout Gravlax with Broad Bean Guacamole. The menu will also have an all-day ‘Farm Classics’ section offering some well loved Gladwin favorites such as Lamb Chips and Pan-Fried Goat’s Cheese with Walnuts, Honey and Thyme as well as some new items such as the BBQ Nutbourne Beef Burger and a Bacon Jam or the Trout Doughnut served with Confit Egg Yolk and a Nutbourne Mimosa for £5 on the weekend brunch menu.
Signature starters on the mouthwatering menu will include beef tartar served from a tartar trolley where guests can personalise the exact quantities and level of onions, capers and seasoning they would like. Different meats will also be served on hot salt rocks brought to the table and cooked in front of guests, with dishes such as Grouse with Rowan Berry Jelly, Cheddar Crumb and Wood Sorrel. Mains will come from the restaurant’s open grill and meat will be sourced and matured from Nutbourne and butchered at the Gladwins’ Battersea-based warehouse. Regularly changing dishes will include: Monkfish Cheeks, Fig and Rosemary, Coriander Seeds and Chutney, Veal Sweet Bread with Mustard Jus and Pork Chop with Fennel and Marjoram Salsa.
A real hub for the community, Nutbourne will have a great lunchtime offering served throughout the day with a ‘Salads, Grains and Pulses’ section available as a starter, main or mid-course, offering the daily changing ‘Trending Salad’ and other healthy dishes such as a British Super Grain Tabbouleh made with Suffolk Quinoa, Cracked Wheat, Linseed, Rainbow Chard, Golden Grapes and Sussex Herbs and Omega Salad made with Mackerel, Dulse, Roasted Squash, Sage, Red Onion Jam, Sprouting Seeds and Taramasalata Dressing as well as some refreshing and rejuvenating juices and smoothies.
A peacock-blue antique welsh dresser next to the kitchen will serve as a pudding and cake station, serving afternoon tea everyday from 12pm and with classic desserts such as Royal Trifle Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnut Sherbert, Lemon Tart and the Gladwins’ own unforgettable take on a Magnum Vienetta Parfait.
This will be the third time that Richard and Oliver have taken over the site of a former restaurant institution and breathed new life into it. They first did this with The Ark in Notting Hill now The Shed, followed by Choys on the King’s Road for Rabbit and now Ransome’s Dock. In homage to the former restaurant which was renowned for its wine list and referred to as ‘the canteen’ for those in the wine trade, Nutbourne will have an expansive and diverse wine list, with 150 bins of classic wines, including a fine wine section handpicked from the Nutbourne cellar, and of course the acclaimed wines from the vineyard itself.
Nutbourne’s glorious interior is based on The Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of the finest estates in Cornwall only rediscovered 25 years ago. Visitors will plunge into a secret oasis with live greenery both inside and outside, a large garden-inspired mural, framed botanical prints and an embroidered vegetables installation hanging from the ceiling. The spacious room will have large windows overlooking the water and flooding the room with natural light, and a large ‘butcher’s table’ situated next to the open grill will seat up to 14 guests. A staircase decorated in jungle-themed wallpaper will lead guests into a hidden private room, The Cellar, which will have its own entrance and accommodate up to 25 people.
Diners can start their evening at the oak topped bar with a glass of the Gladwins’ Nutty sparkling wine or an array of seasonal cocktails made from British-produced spirits with rotating drinks such as Green Fingered Gardener, made with Cucumber, Gin an Tonic and a Berry Collins made with Raspberries, Sparkling Wine, Mint and Gin
Richard and Oliver say of the project:
“With Nutbourne we wanted to create a community restaurant for Battersea locals. We both live in and love this area and we hope that we’ve created a space that caters to all the tastes of people from here and the surrounding areas. We look forward to welcoming you to our secret garden soon!”