Crockers Henley to open new restaurant concept, Ember, with chef Tom Westerland at the helm

Crockers Henley, the acclaimed boutique restaurant with rooms in the heart of Henley-on-Thames, will unveil its latest dining venue on Friday 15 October: Ember.

Inspired by fire and flame, the restaurant will offer seasonal dishes cooked over coals, ash and smoke, available a la carte or as part of a signature Chef’s Menu designed by talented head chef Tom Westerland.

Tom joined the Crockers team when the venue first opened in mid 2020 and has spent much of his time since then overseeing the The Grill and developing the concept for Ember.

Inspired by the bounties of cooking over hot coals, warm ash and open flame, each dish on the menu is packed full of Tom’s flavour driven food and is refined yet fun, whilst delivering an element of intrigue due to his creative way of encorporating fire and flame.

The menu at Ember can be enjoyed over three courses or as a full Chef’s Menu (£60pp) dining experience with optional paired beverages selected by General Manager and Head of Wine, Gemma Aldridge.

There are no set seating times – guests are invited to relax and enjoy the food, wine and warm hospitality.
All guest will be greeted by warm Tiger bread, Branston pickle butter, Godminster cheese on arrival, before tucking into small plates of Rabbit, rarebit, Wiltshire truffle or Ortiz anchovies, nori cracker, anchovy ketchup.

Starters might include Duck parfait, barbecued pineapple, rummy raisins, hazelnut, brioche or Orkney scallop, chicken fat, sea buckthorn, truffle.

Before larger courses of Venison, sweetcorn, smoked bacon, black garlic or Cornish bass, courgette, IOW tomato, cucumber, lemongrass.

A Stokes Marsh Farm Chateaubriand with beef fat chips, bone marrow, truffle sauce and hispi cabbage is also available on request to share between two. Sweeter signatures are set to be “Fab, Mr Hobbs gin, strawberry; “Ember”, chocolate, mandarin, popping candy; or Tunworth cheese, choux bun, truffle honey.

Each dish will be expertly paired with wines chosen by Crockers Henley’s General Manager and Head of Wine, Gemma Aldridge.

Seating up to 40, Ember offers a variety of dining spaces – be it a table looking out across the bustling Market Place, a cosy spot beside the grade II listed townhouse’s original fireplace, outdoor booking in the secret courtyard or a private event in Ember’s newly created ‘Reading Room’.

Ember sits alongside Crockers’ two 16-seat, fine dining Chef’s Tables – Thames and Gardiner – each offering exquisite tasting menus focused on modern British and pan-Asian cuisine respectively.

Upstairs, six impeccably designed, contemporary bedrooms complete with roll top baths and four poster beds are available to extend the celebrations and ‘make an evening or weekend of it’. An overnight stay includes fizz and pastries on arrival, and a three-course breakfast the following morning.
Ember launches on Friday 15th October and will be open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.

A one-night at stay at Crockers inclusive of breakfast and dinner at Ember starts from £400 based on two people sharing.

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