A former Michelin-starred chef is returning to the kitchen after four years away, with Ollie Moore set to lead the reopening of the food operation at The Ship in Bishops Sutton.
The Hampshire pub has confirmed its kitchen will reopen on Thursday, March 12, with Ollie at the helm.
The move marks Ollie’s return to a head chef role after several years working outside day-to-day restaurant service. During that period, he moved into chef recruitment in Hampshire.
For hospitality professionals in Hampshire, the story is not just about a pub kitchen reopening. It is also about a chef with Michelin-starred pedigree stepping back onto the pass after time away from service, bringing renewed attention to a village site looking to establish itself as a serious food destination.
The Ship has already positioned the relaunch around seasonal, locally sourced cooking, and Ollie’s arrival gives that next phase real weight.
Ollie is best known in the county for his time at The Black Rat in Winchester, where he led the kitchen during the period the restaurant secured and retained its Michelin star in 2015 and 2016. His earlier career also included time at Ocean Restaurant, as well as roles at The Horn of Plenty and The Manor House, building the kind of classical and high-level grounding that continues to shape his food today.
Now back in Hampshire, Ollie says his cooking is driven as much by lived experience as by technique.
He said: “I’d have to say past experiences inspire my cooking. Having cooked in a number of countries, I like to bring those influences into my dishes, almost like telling a story, but without making it too obvious.”
That mindset runs through the vision for his new menu at The Ship, where he plans to focus on seasonality, locality and a more relaxed, sociable style of eating.
A return built on seasonal produce, foraging and relaxed cooking
Nature remains central to Ollie’s approach, and he says the wild landscape continues to shape the way he thinks about ingredients and flavour.
“The wild is a massive inspiration. There’s a reason certain ingredients grow next to each other in nature; it’s like a natural pairing.”
At The Ship, that philosophy will feed into a menu that leans away from formality and towards sharing, personality and flavour. Rather than trying to recreate a fine-dining format in a pub setting, Ollie says he wants the food to feel playful, process-led and enjoyable.
He said: “Food is at its best when you can enjoy it with someone else. There’s no strict direction, just process-heavy, fun and playful cookery, with the usual foraged ingredients and cheap cuts thrown in. That’s classic Ollie food, really.”
That balance between technique and informality could become a key part of The Ship’s appeal. The pub’s own messaging around the relaunch points to a thoughtful, seasonal food offer, and Ollie’s comments suggest a kitchen that will be rooted in strong produce rather than stiffness or ceremony.
He pointed to ingredients such as Alresford watercress, wild mushrooms from the New Forest and slow-cooked lamb shoulder with wild garlic as examples of the kind of produce that excites him most.
“Local ingredients excite me, whether that’s Alresford watercress, a wild mushroom picked that morning in the New Forest, or a slow-cooked lamb shoulder with wild garlic.
“I’m just excited to be in a position where I can prep and serve these ingredients for others to enjoy.”
He added: “Cheap cuts, wild ingredients, and hopefully a bit of fun on the plate. Stuffy food has never been my thing.”
