The smell of paint hit us as soon as we arrived at The Corn Room in Witney, new partners Paul Piper and Jay Bartlett busy transforming the site into their gleaming new restaurant which opens on March 3.
Paul, former GM at the much acclaimed Lamb in Crawley, and Jay the highly skilled sous chef, are the new faces behind Witney’s latest eatery, and what a treat they have in store.
‘We want The Corn Room be as inclusive as possible and everyone to feel welcome. So come on down when it opens in March and see what we’ve been building’
Bringing their passion, dedication and expertise to The Corn Room, it is a dream come true for the pair who pledge to put their all into the new project and give Witney a unique and relaxed dining experience.
“The Corn Room is going to be different to anything else you can find in Witney,” Paul promises as the duo ready to open the 32 seater restaurant, with a further 20 seats outside in the summer, an exciting seasonal a la carte and sharing plate menu, and a brunch and coffee offering in the mornings.
Having decided to open their own place when The Lamb‘s previous owners Seb and Lana Snow sold up in March Why The Lamb Inn in Crawley near Witney is so popular, the former Dirty Bros site on Corn Street provided the perfect location for their new enterprise.
‘The Corn Room is going to be different to anything else you can find in Witney’
Raring to go, and with big plans afoot, the metamorphosis of the former The Edge at Lil’s, and before that the Fat Lil’s cafe site, is well underway with classy banquettes, rugs, tweed and velvet furnishings and smaller tables planned, the dark green walls already gleaming. “We’re thinking country chic,” Paul explains.
Once open, a warm welcome will await with linen tablecloths, a bar serving cocktails and drinks and great service: “While people can come in for a drink, its’a all about the food,” Paul says.
Working together at The Lamb for the past five years, Paul and Jay make a perfect partnership, keen to forge their own way in Oxfordshire’s hospitality industry and make their mark.
‘If you believe in something and execute it properly there is no reason to fail’
So how did these two young entrepreneurs hatch such an ambitious plan? “Opening my own place was always a dream of mine and I realised now was our chance. We just had to find the right site, and if you believe in something and execute it properly there is no reason to fail,” Paul says.
Approaching Jay with his idea, the young chef jumped at the chance go into business: “It seemed like a fairy tale until we got the keys earlier this month, so we are really excited,” Jay says.
Discovering his love of cooking when taking a part time job at The Lamb aged 16, Jay worked his way up through the ranks under the watchful eye of chef patron Seb Snow and head chef Chris Burleton, dropping out of college to become a full time chef.
“I love every minute. Every day is different and I love working with all the produce. But the best thing is the feedback from the customers, making food that they enjoy,” he reflects.
‘I want it to be me on a plate and to cook the kind of food I want to eat, to be a bit more creative, to keep it interesting’
So what can we expect food wise? “There will be a small seasonal a la carte menu – four starters, five mains, four desserts – and an interchanging small plates menu of between 10-12 dishes where we can be more experimental.
“I want it to be me on a plate and to cook the kind of food I want to eat, to be a bit more creative, to keep it interesting,” the new head chef says, “so we will use great produce and let Mother Nature do the talking. Think simple ingredients but bold flavours, executed well,” Jay says of his style.
Paul also has plenty of experience under his belt, having helped open The Plough at Kelmscott, Five Alls in Filkin and The Lamb, so why Witney? “We both live here, people know us, and Corn Street has got a real buzz around it. We want to do justice to that while bringing something unique to Witney.
‘Corn Street has got a real buzz around it. We want to do justice to that while bringing something unique to Witney’
“We want people to be saying ‘have you tried The Corn Room, it’s the place to go’ because there is nothing like it here at the moment,” he adds.
Still a difficult climate out there at the moment? “We will never underestimate that but we are a strong team and if you’re going to do something then you have to do it properly. Consistency is key.
‘we want to put our own stamp on The Corn Room and are determined to put in the effort to make it a success’
“So we aren’t trying to be replicate The Lamb here – the new landlords are great – but we want to put our own stamp on The Corn Room and are determined to put in the effort to make it a success,” Paul says.
In the meantime, there’s a lot to organise and Jay and Paul are doing most of the work themselves. “We really want this to work. We know it’s going to be full on but we are ready and really excited.”
“So it’s all about giving our customers the best possible experience at The Corn Room by creating a space with a warm, welcoming atmosphere – somewhere people can relax, share plates, enjoy a great bottle of wine or cocktail, and feel genuinely looked after.
‘We really want this to work. We know it’s going to be full on but we are ready and really excited’
“We want The Corn Room be as inclusive as possible and everyone to feel welcome. So come on down when it opens in March and see what we’ve been building.”
The Corn Room in Witney will be open Tuesday-Saturday from March 3. Reservations will be available to book once the reservation system is up and running, with all details shared via its website and social channels ahead of opening.
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