"It has been a huge honour to run the Beehive"

The Staff Canteen

Editor

Chef Owner Dominic Chapman has announced the sale of the lease at the Beehive restaurant in White Waltham.

The company, which first opened the restaurant nine years ago under the stewardship of Dominic, has enjoyed a hugely successful tenure - achieving number seven in the Top 50 Gastropubs, six in the Good Food Guide, two AA Rosettes and dining pub of the year in the Good Pub Guide.

Commenting on the news, Dominic said: "It has been a huge honour to run the Beehive so successfully for so long. We’ve made some incredible friends during our time here and really enjoyed being part of our little community."

He added: "Our lease was coming to an end so it felt like the right time to look at exploring some new opportunities."

More recently, the team acquired The Crown at Burchett’s Green, where Chapman’s solid focus on classic British cuisine has already been recognised in the Michelin Guide.

Describing his emotions and future plans, Dom said: "Whilst we are sad to be leaving the Beehive, we are delighted that so many of our guests have joined us at our new venture at The Crown, just down the road."

Dom added: “I’m also incredibly excited about a new project that we have in the pipeline - details of which will be revealed very soon.”

Dominic has confirmed that the Beehive will remain open under the new ownership.

Who is chef Dominic Chapman?

Before taking over the Beehive as chef patron in 2014, Dominic worked at Heston Blumenthal’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, The Fat Duck in Bray.

Dominic has also worked for Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place and at The Hind’s Head, and was the head chef at Michael Parkinson’s gastropub, The Royal Oak Paley Street, where he spent seven years, earning it a Michelin star and three AA Rosettes.

In 2022, Dominic bought The Crown pub from Simon Bonwick, after Simon and his family announced it's closure in 2021, following nine years of service.

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