Brown’s founder charged with murder

Jeremy Mogford, the founder of the Brown’s brasserie and bar chain and owner of the Oxford Collection hospitality group, has been charged with murder following the death of his 100-year-old mother.

The 78-year-old restaurateur from Oxford appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court and Oxford Crown Court on October 23, via video link alongside Sarah Pickering, 71, from Surrey.

Both face one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.

The charges relate to the death of Pamela Mogford on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, in Bledlow Ridge, Buckinghamshire. She was reportedly Mogford’s mother.

Both defendants were released on conditional court bail and are next due to appear at Oxford Crown Court on Friday, March 13, 2026.

A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: “Now that charges have been made, the force will not be in a position to provide any further details as proceedings are now active.”

Founder of Brown’s and Oxford Collection

Jeremy Mogford co-founded the original Brown’s in Brighton in 1973 with business partner John Mayhew. The brasserie concept quickly expanded to several “culturally rich” UK towns and cities, including Cambridge and Bristol, before being sold to Bass Brewery in 1996.

According to Companies House records, Brown’s Restaurants recorded a turnover of £12.2 million in 1995, shortly before the sale.

After selling the chain, jeremy founded Mogford Limited in 1987, which trades as the Oxford Collection – a group that includes the Old Bank hotel and Quod restaurant, and Old Parsonage hotel which holds a Michelin Key distinction.

In its most recent filed accounts for the year ending Tuesday, December 31, 2024, the group reported turnover of £19 million and a pre-tax loss of £726,000.

Jeremy's response

A spokesperson for Jeremy told The Caterer: “I have co-operated fully with this investigation and, as I have said to the police, this accusation is complete nonsense. Our mother was nearly 101 years old and died, as her doctor stated, of old age.”

About Brown’s legacy

Brown’s Restaurants became one of the UK’s most recognisable brasserie brands through the 1980s and 1990s, known for its classic British menu and relaxed, all-day dining atmosphere. Following its acquisition by Bass and later Mitchells & Butlers, it remains a nationwide brand.

Jeremy's later ventures under the Oxford Collection helped shape Oxford’s modern dining scene, with Quod and Gees considered among the city’s leading restaurants.