The favorite watering hole of Oxfordshire celebrities – including Blur’s Alex James, former Prime Minister David Cameron, host-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson and many others who are too low-key to name – has a new executive chef.
Sam Bowser joined The Wild Rabbit in Kingham, leading the kitchen team for the acclaimed pub, which serves both the three AA rosette restaurant and the bar.
The White Rabbit’s dining room
Owner Carole Bamford opened The Wild Rabbit, which offers a modern take on a traditional country inn, in 2013.
Next to the restaurant, it has 13 rooms and 14 independent cabins, while this year another two independent houses will open, with capacity for eight and 10 people.
Mr. Bowser has been Head Chef at Llangoed Hall Hotel, Powys, since 2019.
The White Rabbit Front
Prior to that, he spent four years as head chef at both the Dormy House Hotel on Broadway and the two Michelin-starred Whatley Manor Hotel near Malmesbury.
This followed roles with Philip Howard on The Square in London and with Raymond Blanc on Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.
He briefly worked as a private chef for the Bamford family seven years ago, where he gained knowledge and respect for quality organic ingredients. Lady Bamford has been an advocate for sustainable living for over 40 years.
Wild Rabbit is featured in this year’s Michelin Guide and earned a Michelin plaque, while Lady Bamford’s other local outlet near Daylesford Organic earned a green star for its commitment to sustainable gastronomy.
Daylesford supplies much of The Wild Rabbit’s fresh produce, while menus are seasonally based and feature locally sourced, ingredient-focused modern British fare in an open kitchen.
Mr. Bowser said: “I am delighted to be back in the Cotswolds and working with Carole Bamford again. I’ve been fortunate to work in many acclaimed and high-end kitchens, but it was working with the Bamford family that I really developed a deep understanding of seasonality.
“The Wild Rabbit offers the perfect setting for me as a chef, with quality driven cuisine and access to exceptional products from Daylesford Organic. I can’t wait to get caught up in it.”
Lady Bamford will open The Fox at Oddington in June after the traditional pub underwent a restoration in which each of the six rooms was given its own distinctive look, using reclaimed materials.
Opposite the pub, a country house with a private garden offers a place to stay for families or groups of friends.
In addition to The Wild Rabbit and The Fox, the businesswoman, who created the Bamford brand in 2004, bought The Maytime Inn in Asthall, near Burford, last October.
The current team remains in place there.