Late last year Bonwick announced that he had put the highly-rated Burchetts Green pub - which is currently ranked 68 on Restaurant by BigHospitality’s list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK - on the market ahead of the launch of a larger ‘more ambitious’ restaurant.
“Moving on from the Crown was a natural conclusion for us, as we felt we had told a story and given our all to the very idea of the Crown,” Bonwick says. “Not one hour in our time there had been easy, but so very rewarding for us all.”
“Every ounce of business was fought and grafted for, so when selling up it had to be to the right person. It was imperative they had the credentials to run with the ball and relax into the Crown even more comfortably than we had.”
Chapman’s CV includes Berkshire’s The Fat Duck and The Hinds Head as well as London’s Kensington Place, where he cooked under Rowley Leigh.
He is well-known in Berkshire having overseen Michael Parkinson’s The Royal Oak Paley Street for seven years before opening The Beehive in White Waltham in 2014.
“As chef patron Dominic will run with his family and fabulous reputation most likely exceeding all our previous achievements at The Crown,” adds Bonwick. “We wish him and his family all the best. We are sure he will achieve and create with it a very bright future.”
Discussing the news, Chapman says: "We can't wait to open and continue the journey of [The Crown]. We promise to keep it special and welcoming."
Bonwick - who launched The Crown in 2012 - says he will announce his next project within the next few weeks.