New head chef appointed at The Buxton

A Brick Lane bistro and wine bar with rooms has announced the appointment of Oliver (Ollie) Sharpe as its new head chef. 

Sharpe's arrival at The Buxton marks a new chapter for the brand, with a menu of hyper-seasonal small plates and natural wines, focusing on quality ingredients and produce from an urban farm in Deptford, also owned by the operator of The Buxton, The Culpeper Family Hospitality Group.

The venue will now offer a weekly changing menu, including bistro-style small plates influenced by France and the Mediterranean. Dishes such as Panisse topped with whipped cod's roe, coppa and remoulade; chicken liver parfait with house pickles; and grey mullet with risotto nero and sea beet will be available. To finish, diners can choose from puddings such as rhubarb and custard tart, chocolate bavarois with cream Anglaise, or mons cheese with crackers made in-house and quince jelly. 

Embodying a modern 'bar à vin', guests can order wine by the glass or bottle from the brand's all-natural wine list, or opt for the 'Wine of the Week' offer. A succinct selection of cocktails includes classic aperitifs, such as the Gibson with gin, dry vermouth and house pickle, and the Negroni, as well as seasonal serves such as the Rhubarb Sour with housemade rhubarb purée, gin, triple sec, dry vermouth citrus and egg white. The Buxton will be operating as a walk-in-only venue moving forward, offering a more relaxed style of service. 

About the chef

A long-time member of The Culpeper Family, Sharpe started cooking at The Buxton's sister site, The Culpeper, as chef de partie in November 2019. From there, he moved to work at the Michelin-starred Brat in August 2020, and spent over two years honing skills working across all areas of the kitchen. In 2022, he returned to The Culpeper as sous chef, where he worked on the restaurant's menu development before being head-hunted for the opening of critically acclaimed restaurant Toklas, taking on the role of chef de partie for several months.

Sharpe then moved to Perth, Australia, where he was senior chef de partie at the Wildflower restaurant, before returning to the UK to work at the four-starred Brooklands Hotel in Surrey as senior sous chef. He returned to London and The Buxton soon after. 

"I am thrilled to be working with The Culpeper Family again and heading up the kitchen at The Buxton," says Sharpe. "We have always shared a very similar ethos – working with world-class suppliers, using responsibly sourced produce and cooking with the seasons, so to be working at The Buxton and putting my spin on things is a huge privilege."

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