What: An upmarket restaurant on the former site of the Royal Oak in Paley Street, near Maidenhead. The Braywood is the latest venture from WSH Restaurants, whose portfolio also includes The Woodspeen and The Boxford (also in Berkshire) The Clockspire (in Dorset), and The Sparsholt (in Oxfordshire).
Who: WSH Restaurants is owned by Alastair Storey, the chief executive of contract catering company WSH. The business is overseen day-to-day by WSH Restaurants managing director Alessandro Fasoli, whose CV also includes D&D London and The Dorchester Collection. The kitchen at The Braywood is headed by former The Woodspeen head chef Sam Brennan. Front of house, meanwhile is being overseen by the Italian-born Thomas Gammella, another The Woodspeen alumnus and the winner of the Gold Service Scholarship in 2022. The Royal Oak in Paley Street used to be owned by the late Sir Michael Parkinson and held a Michelin star for nearly ten years under no fewer than three different chefs including Dominic Chapman.
The food: The approach at The Braywood is broadly in line with the rest of the WSH Restaurants estate with a focus on seasonal British produce sourced from largely local suppliers. Dishes on the Brennan’s smart but unfussy launch menu include scallops with black pudding; crab agnolotti with shellfish bisque; barbecued monkfish with salt-baked celeriac and mussels; and a terrific chocolate soufflé.
To drink: The Braywood’s offers an impressive 600-bin wine list that’s big on classic regions including Burgundy, Bordeaux and Piemonte. There are over 20 wines by the glass with prices starting at £6.
The vibe: The site is pretty much unrecognisable following the addition of a cantilevered flat roof extension that houses a 70-cover dining room, and a pitched roof extension that is home to a bar area. Both parts of the restaurant offer views of landscaped gardens where terrace seating for around 36 covers will be available in the summer months. The interiors are accurately described as understated and elegant and incorporate sustainable features including heat pumps and passive ventilation.
And another thing: There’s more to come from WSH Restaurants. Early next year the group will make its London debut with a restaurant on Charlotte Street within the site that was once home to Monica Galetti’s Mary.
Paley Street, Littlefield Green, Maidenhead SL6 3JN
www.thebraywood.co.uk
