Robbie Lorraine to lead the kitchen at Boys Hall

Lorraine, who also appeared on the most recent series of BBC's Great British Menu​, will oversee the restaurant and pub menus within the grounds of the estate, which was acquired by husband and wife team Bradley and Kristie Lomas in 2019 and has been undergoing an extensive renovation ahead of its opening in the autumn. 

The restaurant at Boys Hall will open its doors this September, operating Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner, and take its cue from Only Food and Courses, the 80s and 90s-themed fine dining concept Lorraine operated at POP Brixton in London​​ until very recently.

The menu will be split between snacks, small plates, main courses and desserts, and include lobster doughnuts, a signature from Only Food and Courses; lightly smoked eel with cucumber jelly, flowers, samphire and chilli malt vinegar; cider-braised belly of pork with pork ‘Quaver’, bacon jam and black pudding-stuffed loin; and strawberry and white chocolate parfait with basil granita. 

There will also be the option of a weekly-changing 'blind tasting menu' that will comprise six courses for £75 tailored to the tables’ dietary requirements. Guests will be able to choose the 'open' or 'blind' option, which dictates whether they see their menu before or after the meal.

Alongside the restaurant there will also be a pub on site, which will be open to the public as well as residents and house a 4,000-bottle capacity wine cellar.

“I’m super excited to be joining the team at Boys Hall and working closely with everyone, in particular Bradley and Kristie who have done a fantastic job of restoring this beautiful building,” says Lorraine.

“The time and effort they have put in is just phenomenal and their dynamic personalities are really starting to shine throughout the venue.  I’m also looking forward to working with local suppliers, as the produce available in the surrounding area, is some of the best in the country.

“My aim is to create menus that are innovative and imaginative.  I am a firm believer that working with no boundaries when developing new ideas, creates the best and most impactful food. I want the food at Boys Hall to evoke lasting memories for the guests. It’s going to be a real treat moving from a tiny shipping container to having a full team and brand-new kitchen.”

Following the opening of the restaurant in September, Boys Hall will launch 10 en-suite bedrooms in December 2022. They will include five grand suites each with super-king beds, spacious bathrooms and features including roll top bathtubs in the room, idyllic window seats overlooking the estate and original fourposter beds.

The large, landscaped grounds will include a rose garden, a formal front lawn (featuring garden games in the summer months), beehives producing the hall’s own honey, and a kitchen garden for growing herbs and flowers for the restaurant and bar. 

Future plans are afoot to further extend the food and drink offering in a few years’ time to open a garden room bar with outdoor pizza oven; and also establish treatment rooms and several luxury cabins around the estate's wild pond.

“We have loved every minute of restoring this timeless and beautiful period property,” says Kristie and Bradley, who first announced the opening of Boys Hall back in January​​. 

“It’s been such a privilege to be able to combine our background and love of home comforts and become a part of the rich history of this house, which we immediately fell in love with. It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to combine our backgrounds and love of home comforts and become a part of the rich history of this house and its stunning, evolving gardens.”

Bradley was the former operations director of East London Pub Co, while Kristie is the founder of Drink, Shop & Do as well as Keystone Crescent members club in London’s King’s Cross.