Bindloss Dawes has just finished restoring a historic Georgian pub near Bruton in Somerset, rehousing Merlin Labron Johnson’s Michelin starred restaurant, Osip, to become a larger destination with bedrooms and gardens. The new restaurant and rooms, quietly rooted among the neighbouring fields, establishes a renewed relationship to its Somerset surroundings, which reinforces Osip’s ‘farm-to-table’ ethos. 

Built in 1730, the original building had all the character of a traditional English pub, with low, timbered ceilings and intimate dining, but it was viewless and inward looking.Bindloss Dawes wanted to retain the feel of the earlier site, but open up the restaurant and kitchen to the fields beyond, washing the interiors with light and setting up long vistas across the Somerset countryside for guests to enjoy. 

Osip now comprises an intimate entrance bar and reception area, with a forty cover restaurant that overlooks an open theatre kitchen, set against the backdrop of the garden and fields beyond. The first and second floors have been fully restored, now extending high into the original roof rafters. Containing four new bespoke double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, each responds to the original fabric and idiosyncrasies of the historic building. 

Natural materials have been purposefully selected throughout the interiors of Osip. A quiet drama is revealed in the restaurant and bar, with white-washed walls and exposed ceilings set against a deep red earthenware floor. The charred crimson was inspired by the original clinker floors of the historic pub, and creates a warm unity across the whole space. Laid directly onto the original floor, the new surface is made from locally-sourced earth, with breathable and acoustically absorbent properties that make it an excellent choice for a busy restaurant.

The kitchen is located at the centre of the restaurant, so that diners are encouraged to experience the cooking process, sometimes invited to take part in the tasting sessions at the chef’s table. Behind the chefs the panoramic views of the countryside are viewed through large slim-framed windows, further reminding us of the seasonal menu and its link to the land. Other crafted details are revealed in the soft furnishings of the restaurant and bar area, including timbers from the neighbouring woods, as well as leathers and fabrics produced close to Bruton. 

Osip demonstrates Bindloss Dawes’ transformative capabilities in delivering unique experiences for clients within high-end hospitality destinations. The new Somerset restaurant and rooms epitomises Merlin’s natural alignment with the studio, navigating an urban sensibility in a rural setting whilst celebrating local craftsmanship throughout.