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The Harcourt Arms in Witney and The Plough in Kelmscott have announced the appointment of Will and Olly Oakley, as general manager and head chef respectively.
Helping to shape the food and drink offering as well as bespoke rooms, the brothers take the helm of the 17th Century Oxfordshire sites, each located at the edge of the Cotswolds and an hour away from London.
The Harcourt Arms is located in the Oxfordshire village of Witney, close to both Oxford and Hanborough station. The Plough can be found in the Cotswold village of Kelmscott, close to Swindon train station.
The Oakley brothers will work alongside group managing director Rupert Bagnall, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience across pub companies.
Overseeing the food offering at both sites, head chef Oakley has created individual menus, served within the pubs’ dining rooms.
Following a recent refurbishment, the rooms at The Plough pay homage to British textile designer, William Morris, who lived in nearby Kelmscott Manor from 1871 until his death in 1896.
Design elements include rarer and lesser known prints, created by Morris whilst living in the surrounding area. Each room is named after some of Morris’ most beloved patterns – from Larkspur, accented with the floral pattern, to Meadow Sweet, featuring the more symmetrical print across the wallpaper and furnishings.
Meanwhile, the ten rooms at The Harcourt Arms are designed as individual spaces that form a collectively “homely” place to stay. Rooms are named after Cotswold and Oxfordshire villages – from Bladon and Bidbury, double rooms with natural interiors, to the Blenheim Suite, housing a four-poster bed within the grade-II-listed part of the property.
