Joanna Taylor catches up with one half of Bristol’s pioneering farm-to-table restaurant
Having worked his way up the ranks of institutions including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Phil Howard’s The Square, it’s safe to say that Jan Ostle is no stranger to the London food scene. However it’s what he and his partner, Mary Wilson, have done since they stepped away from the bustle of the capital which has truly captured the attention of discerning gluttons near and far.
Since opening in 2016, their hyper-seasonal farm-to-table restaurant, Wilsons, has become one of Britain’s most beloved ‘neighbourhood’ spots, and gained a Michelin Green Star in 2022 thanks to the standout produce Mary cultivates on their farm just a few miles away.
Like the couple, the eatery manages to be stylish and considered, yet anything but pretentious, with delicate, refined food that somehow feels approachable and fuss-free despite Jan’s meticulous cooking methods.
Only 1 hour 35 minutes from Paddington by train, Wilsons is an excellent excuse to escape the smog of the city – though, for now, Jan’s London food memories should give you something to chew on.
What’s your first memory of London?
I grew up in Oxford and we used to go to London to stay with my aunt and uncle in Kensington, which was always a really exciting thing. I’ll always remember the smell of a black cab, I loved it. It meant that I was going to be having a nice time, that we were going to be going to Holland Park and playing on that on the climbing frame, it was just brilliant.
I had no idea how close Paddington was to my aunt’s house. So, you know, later on in my life when I moved up to work in London at 20 years old, I realised that I could walk here. I definitely didn’t have enough money for a black cab. That’s one of my later memories from when I was younger, living in my aunt’s basement.
I was at a Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for a while, which was everything you’d expect it to be for somebody who’d never worked at a kitchen of that level. And then I went to The Square, which was very cool. It was incredible seeing how the menu would change with the seasons and just the incredible produce.
First London food memory?
Do you know what it was? If I’m honest with you, it’s Pizza Express. I thought it was so good. I still kind of like it. I was a little kid back then, so pizza was the best. I’d always order the pepperoni pizza – I loved the way the oil bleeds into the cheese. I think people have been trying to recreate that with nduja and all of these things since, but it’s just not the same.
Most memorable meal that you’ve had in London?
I’ve been to some really amazing restaurants. I think the one that I really, really enjoy is Perilla. I really love that restaurant. I’ve eaten at The Ledbury and Alex Dilling and Claude Bodi’s Hibiscus… but yeah, there’s something about Perilla that’s really wonderful. It felt really special, like it’s breaking the mould of what good food is, and I still feel that. They’re on a path that no one else is walking.
The last time I went Mary and I had a whole sea bream, it was just this whole fish in the middle of the table, dressed so beautifully. And it was hot! I know that sounds like a weird thing, but to beautifully cook a piece of fish and for it to go out really hot is quite a challenging thing, because the fish cooked at 40 degrees.
We went to Lyle’s recently, too. I love food, but I also just love service – really passionate, kind people that make you feel welcome and are obviously enjoying their job. It’s such a wonderful thing to behold.
Have any London chefs influenced you throughout your career?
Early on I did a stage at the Clove Club when I was between jobs, when you could see something was happening there, that it was going to be an important restaurant. They had the edge, you could feel they were spearheading the new movement in food and a new generation of cooks. I knew quite early that what they were doing was important.
I think the way that they structured the menu, their approach they had with food was really important. The food that they were doing, how they were operating, the approach they were taking was breaking away from the classic format of what a top end restaurant is. That stage was my first experience really seeing it first hand.
They showed me that to be a great restaurant, you don’t necessarily have to conform to those the way in which you were trained. You can do it differently and approach things in a different way. You can do something that’s grounded in classical presentations and roots, but there was freedom in their language and how they worked.
One of my guys went off to work there after he worked for me, and that was a super proud moment of seeing people come to your restaurant and then go on to do kind of brilliant things afterwards, it was weird and validating. It’s wonderful seeing guys who haven’t worked in London go off to London, do really well, then end up doing their own thing.
Where do you flock to when you’re in London?
Mary just went to Josephine and she absolutely loved it. I know she had, like a five year old’s gleeful face, and she was presented with a bowl of mashed potatoes and that image of her smiling over her mashed potatoes lives rent-free in my head.
I’d go back to Perilla, although I really enjoyed myself at Casa Fofo, they’re doing really cool things. Their food is not something you’re gonna have every day, it’s totally different. I had a piece of pork with a fermented liver sauce, which was unapologetically different. For some people, it’d be quite difficult, quite challenging, but they’re making it work. They’re using what they have and have created a business that’s kind of perfect for where they’re at, and I admire that.
Would you ever come back to London?
Me and Mary have got two beautiful children, we have a farm, we have a restaurant, a bakery – but I would never say never. We couldn’t do it by ourselves, but if there’s anyone out there who fancies opening a Wilsons in London…
Find out more about Jan Ostle and Wilsons here
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