Matt Larcombe to launch closed-loop restaurant

Matt Larcombe, formerly of The Victoria, Oxshott and The Fat Duck Group, brings his hyper-seasonal cooking to Berkhamsted in October with the opening of Wild – a restaurant celebrating British produce, regenerative farming and zero-waste principles.

Just up the road, Wild’s namesake farm grows ingredients that will shape its menus. Sitting at the heart of its closed-loop system, the farm grows the produce from seed and takes back any leftovers, returning them to the soil as compost.

The menu

Larcombe’s busy career to date has ensured The Victoria and The Crown in Bray have both enjoyed great success. Some highlights from his menu at Wild include snacks, breads and small plates such as flatbread with honey and Baron Bigod; raw beef with egg yolk; and pig's head with passion fruit, all showcasing Larcombe's confidence and plans to 'wow' the diner from the off.

Large plates will be bold, chunky sharers, including sirloin on the bone, served with shallot sauce; whole day-boat fish with butter and herbs and pork tomahawk with apple and mustard. All meat and fish are British and, where possible, rare breed and organic. Desserts such as salted caramel tart and milk and honey will also be offered. 

Wines will be paired perfectly to plates by sommelier Rémi Cousin, formerly of The Fat Duck and Le Gavroche. Charlie Hitchcock is Wild’s head chef, who honed his skills under Larcombe at The Victoria. Laeticia Valentini joins as GM, having served both front- and back-of-house at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons and Oak.

Cocktails will be a rotating list of four varieties, all made using kitchen ingredients. The Butter-roasted carrot Old Fashioned will use carrots from the farm and butter from a local farmer; the Wild Bramble will use Bone Idyl gin and hedgerow brambles and fruit from around the farml the Bloody Mary Consommé will use end of season tomatoes; and the Bee Flip Bourbon will use a fat-washed bourbon mixed with honey and eggs from the farm, topped with nutmeg.

The restaurant will also host a series of wine- and food-related events, such as 'Meet the Grower' – short evenings of ingredient-led snacks and wines to match, allowing diners to meet the farmers that grow and rear much of the food on the menu. 

"I cannot wait to get started at Wild," says Larcombe. "The space is beautiful and Berkhamsted is beguilingly quaint yet classy. It feels like the right location for what I'm ready to cook next in my career."

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