Almost a year after devastating fire, country pub gets new kitchen

The team at The Olive Branch, just up the A1 at Clipsham, Rutland, set up a temporary kitchen in December 2021 following the fire that ripped through the rear of the pub. A porta-cabin became their emergency cooking HQ for more than ten months while plans for a new kitchen were drawn up and work was carried out.

Despite the restrictions of cooking in a porta-cabin for almost a year, incredibly The Olive Branch recently won another coveted award. In September, it was named Midlands-based Great Food Club Pub of the Year, following winning GQ Pub of the Year in 2021.

The Olive Branch’s owner Ben Jones said: “It has been an incredible team effort. The builders, fitters and designers pulled out all the stops to give us an amazing new space, and The Olive Branch team worked so hard to maintain standards, cooking thousands of plates of food in the car park literally and carrying them through to the pub.

"After a terrible end to 2021, I am so proud of what everyone has achieved by working together. We appreciate the support and understanding of NFU Mutual in Stamford.”

The pub’s new kitchen opened on Wednesday and contains a wealth of high-end equipment, including a bespoke Athanor cooking suite, a Rational iCombi Pro oven and Precision refrigeration throughout. The new kitchen was designed and specified by Clive Groom of CNG Food Service Equipment, while Nathan Fitton from architect firm RTK Stamford managed the project.

Work to transform the pub’s old smoke-damaged kitchen was carried out by Will Ashmore’s team of builders and carpenters from Coppice Homes of Oakham. Meanwhile, Adam and Lee from Steve Rudkin Electrical of Stamford designed new electrics, and local tradesmen James & Chris Browning oversaw the new plumbing.

The new kitchen sports olive-green and black metro tiles and stainless steel fixtures and fittings.