Osip 2.0 needs your help

One of Britain’s most exciting and thoughtful chefs, Merlin Labron-Johnson has announced that he is to bring his lauded Osip concept to a new location.

Labron-Johnson announced that he would be evolving his lauded restaurant concept Osip away from its current home at Number One Bruton, Somerset and bringing it to a new home and needs the public’s help to raise the last funds to make Osip 2.0 happen.

Having opened the 30-seater Osip in 2019, right before the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the restaurant endured a difficult birth, but thanks to the efforts of the local community and the owners of Number One Bruton, a row of cottages converted into a 12-bedroom hotel, Osip survived its difficult first phase.

In fact, the team emerged from that period with a new mettle and new vision, one that placed sustainability, seasonality, good service and kindness at the heart of everything they do. Osip is a restaurant that embraces the highest standards of modern gastronomy while leaning into a tradition of local gastronomy, depending on what is available and when. Osip does not run a traditional menu, but instead invites guests to enjoy the harvest from their own farm, built during the lockdown period.

_{Osip 1.0 in Bruton}

Osip has received international acclaim, along with a Michelin star, the restaurant has been recognised on countless lists as a restaurant that exemplifies a new iteration of high-modern cuisine that is based on tradition and nature and is considered one of the best places to eat in the country. The new Osip promises to deliver more of the same interesting culinary explorations and will offer guests the possibility to stay overnight, in a new rustic location, that is already half-complete.

“The new Osip will take place in a new, more remote location, just outside Bruton,” wrote Labron-Johnson. “Amongst rolling hills and at the foot of a beautiful pine forest, our destination becomes more than just a restaurant, it is our home. Our house. A country auberge where you can stay the night, explore the gardens, take a tour of the kitchen, and relax by the fire for an after-dinner drink. In keeping with Osip tradition, our house will feature works by some of the most talented artists, creating a holistic space that shines a gentle light on the emerging craft movement, through the medium of delicious food.”

Writing on his Instagram profile, Labron-Johnson announced the new project and called for the support of the public through a crowdfunding campaign. The team at Osip have ploughed all their earnings from the last few years but has a crowdfunding goal of £125,000 to make the dream come true. In return for people’s help, Osip has devised a scheme of rewards, meals and gifting options for them to enjoy later once the restaurant is up and running.