The new pub will have 40 covers and a strict no-booking policy. It will be open all day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from a menu of ‘classic dishes done well’.
Kerridge’s current sous chef at The Hand and Flowers Nick Beardshaw will lead the kitchen at The Coach, though Kerridge and head chef Aaron Mulliss have had a say in menu development.
Kerridge intends for The Coach to be everything he thinks a modern high street pub should be, ‘flexible, sociable, affordable and a place to both eat and drink’.
“Enjoying a mixture of different dishes and flavours is a great way to eat and there is no reason why we can’t do that in a pub,” said Kerridge.
“I want The Coach to be a place for people to take pleasure in anything, from a drink and a snack through to a full lunch or dinner. It will offer something for everyone.”
The menu
The menu at The Coach will focus on ‘ingredient-led cooking’ done in a traditional way but with a ‘more modern touch’. The menu format will encourage diners to sample different dishes rather than stick to the expected three courses. Dishes on offer will also change to reflect the time of day.
For breakfast, dishes such as smoked haddock kedgeree or waffles with truffle honey will be served. The lunch and dinner menus include dishes such as potted Cornish crab with cucumber chutney, moules mariniere with warm stout and brown bread, and whole rotisserie roasted stuffed quail. Smaller snacks such as a cake of the day, and breakfast bagels and hot dogs will also be available.
The rotisserie will be the pub’s ‘star of the show’ and the foundation of much of the menu. Using this, the chefs will roast a selection of meats as well as breakfast bacon in the traditional rotation style.
Design and atmosphere
The Coach has been designed by Tibbatts Abel in an ‘eclectic’ manner which combines a modern and classical look.
When it opens it will feature a ‘bold’ metallic counter which goes around the whole room, bordered by leather bar seats which provide most of the seating. They will face the open kitchen to allow a ‘flow’ between the guests and the staff.
The pub will also have a number of small, muted Sky TV screens which will show important sporting events.