Michelin-starred pub chef to open Bristol pop-up restaurant

Eggleton, who saw his kitchen retain its one Michelin star in the 2012 guide after first achieving the accolade in 2011, will open a restaurant concept in Bristol's Queen Square in April for two weeks.

Eat Drink Bristol Fashion is a collaboration between the chef and Luke Hasell, director of Tipi Events, who is providing a tipi structure to hold a 100-cover fine dining area and a Champagne and wine bar. 

Speaking to BigHospitality, Eggleton said the idea behind the pop-up and come from the success of two similar events last year on the Chew Valley Lake near The Pony and Trap but this year was a big step up in terms of size and organisation.

"Pop-up restaurants happen all over the place and they are happening by people who don't run restaurants. We want to make it a little bit more accessible, a sort of mini food festival or pop-up as a celebration of the restaurant scene and the dining scene in Bristol," he said.

Chef's Forum​

As well as the team from The Pony and Trap, Eggleton has invited various chefs from across the city to take part following a series of guest nights he has run in the pub where a chef swap scheme has operated with other restaurants and pubs in the area. Eggleton was involved in the establishment of the Chef's Forum in the city at the beginning of the year​ to pool expertise.

Eggleton said the pop-up might not make money due to the organisation and costs but was a celebration and a chance, like the Chef's Forum, to work together with other industry figures in the area.

"The amount I learnt by just walking through other peoples kitchens and picking up things - there is a lot we can learn from each other. Not just with food and drink but who do you get to fix your extraction, who is a good engineer for this and what do you do about this contract and human resources," Eggleton said.

Michelin star​

Eggleton has just celebrated six years at The Pony and Trap since refurbishing the pub aged just 22. Since winning the Michelin star Eggleton has set up an event catering company to run events like the pop-up and keep the kitchen open at the same time. Eggleton said winning the star had led to a big rise in bookings and allowed him to take on more staff and develop the business but the pressure remained to maintain standards and retain the accolade.

"Never in a million years did I think I would win a Michelin star. Now we have got one I definitely want to maintain that because at the end of the day if you do lose it, you are only going to get shot down again," he said.

The pop-up, which required taking on a full premises license, will also feature a coffee, sandwich and cake shop during the day and an area for corporate bookings in the evening as well as art and performance.