“Yes it’s the end of an era, but although it is sad, I’m quite relieved,” Clinton Pugh tells me, reflecting on his decision to sell his last remaining restaurant Kazbar on Cowley Road.
Having bought it back in August last year, he then had an offer he couldn’t refuse, heralding the end of his illustrious restaurant career, for now!
After 40 years in the business, the famous Oxford restauranteur is throwing in the towel, leaving behind a legacy of some of the city’s finest culinary spots including Cafe Coco, The Lemon Tree, La Cantina, Bideckers, Cafe BaBa, Royal Oxford and The Grand Cafe.Â
And he hopes Kazbar will continue to thrive under the ownership of the same family who also purchased Coco’s from him recently. “They have got the energy it needs and it’s a great opportunity for them so I am over the moon,” Clinton says.
As for his legacy, Clinton says: “I’ve had an amazing time over the past 40 years working with some incredible people and while I’ve really enjoyed it, I’m glad it’s over. I feel like a spring chicken now.”
‘In terms of my legacy – that’s my family and irrespective of my children’s success they are all decent human beings’
“But in terms of my legacy – that’s my family and irrespective of my children’s success they are all decent human beings and confident people who will always stick up for the underlings. But I also love that all four of my children are doing what they want to do, and I’m incredibly proud of them all.”
So while Clinton is winding down, his children are upping the ante, his daughter Florence Pugh attending the premiere of her new Marvel movie Thunderbolts in London this week, her family in attendance as always. “The film is fantastic and it was an incredible night at Leicester Square. We met some lovely people including the whole cast,” Clinton says.
And Clinton’s son Toby Sebastian is currently preparing to perform at Oxford’s O2 tomorrow night (Saturday April 26) with his new album Eyes Light Up, a heady mix of nostalgia, melodic folk, soul and pop performed with his trusty guitar and distinct vocals.
‘It was a bit of a mad house but it was fun and we were always encouraged as kids and supported in what we wanted to do’
“Eyes Light Up is an album I’ve always wanted to make, the songs and ideas I’ve had all the way through my life finally coming together. So yes it’s taken a while for it all come together, but I’m really proud of it,” he says.
Inspired by the music he listened to growing up to in the bohemian Pugh household, including their three year foray in Spain, Toby says all the Pugh children were encouraged to let their creativity run riot. “There was always music playing in the house from The Kinks to Crowded House, and we were constantly singing and performing,” he says.
“So yes, it was a bit of a mad house, but it was fun and we were always encouraged as kids and supported in what we wanted to do, which is why we’re all doing what we’re doing.
‘There’s nothing better than playing in your hometown’
So how far back do his new songs go? “Some of them are seven or eight years old but I put them on the shelf, ready for when I was ready to finish them, and others I wrote in an afternoon like Let’s Pretend, so it’s a real mix. But I love this album and I’m incredibly proud of these 11 songs.”
Recording them in East London with music producer Matty Benbrook, who has worked with the likes of Paolo Nutini, Jack Savoretti, Dido and Faithless, Toby says: “It’s taken time for these songs to come into existence, and while I’ve imagined how they would sound for years, when you go into the recording studio it all falls into place.
‘I just want to get out there in front of a crowd and see their reaction’
“So I just want to get out there in front of a crowd and see their reaction – to see if they like the songs and come on board with the album. There’s nothing better than playing in your hometown and it’s been two years since I was last at the O2 on Cowley Road, so it’s a really big deal and I want everyone to enjoy my show. It’s going to be joyous.”
Toby Sebastian is at Oxford’s O2 on Saturday night. Book here: https://www.academymusicgroup.com/o2academyoxford/events/1569477/toby-sebastian-tickets
Florence Pugh stars in Thunderbolts which opens on May 1 in Oxford.
The Kazbar is open and under new management
