Wine-focused restaurant and bar heads for Oxford

Barker currently owns Eight Stony Street in Frome and has over 30 year’s experience in wine and hospitality, having held senior roles at wine companies including Bibendum, Oddbins and Enotria. 

Wilding’s name comes from the practice of regenerating overworked land to return it to nature, reflecting the venue’s aim to make as little impact on the environment as possible and only to work with businesses that have a similar ethos. 

The kitchen will be overseen by Dominique Goltinger, who has a CV that includes Bistrot Bruno Loubet and - most recently - Maremma in Brixton. 

Dishes on the launch menu include hand-dived scallops with seashore vegetables and wild capers; chargrilled asparagus with Caerphilly cheese and hogweed shoot dressing.

Suppliers have been selected by Goltinger to bring the ‘best of British produce to the menu’, including Westcombe Dairy, Cove Shellfish and Hogget and Boar, with the Wilding team handling butchery and fermentations in-house to minimise food waste.

Wilding will have 80 covers, with an additional 16 in a private dining room, 20 at the bar and an expansive garden terrace for up to 60 guests. 

The wine offer has been developed by Barker and his head of wine Sarah Helliwell, who has worked at Gidleigh Park, Camel Valley winery and as an educator for the WSET. 

There will be 50 wines by the glass, including 10 on tap, plus a further top end list available from an enomatic dispense system.

The shop will offer 400 wines for sale, including fortified sherries, ports, sparkling, still, red, white, rosé and orange wines. Prices range from £7.50 - £245 to take away, and all bottles can be consumed on-site (£15 corkage).