Building Berkshire’s Next Big Dining Destination: A conversation with Head Chef Dom Chapman, The Jack O'Newbury

After years spent cooking in some of Britain’s most respected kitchens, including Michelin starred success at The Royal Oak, chef Dom Chapman is embarking on what may be the most personal project of his career yet: The Jack O’Newbury. Built from the bones of a former roadside pub and transformed into a design-led restaurant with rooms, terraces, gardens and a strong sense of place, The Jack is rooted in something Chapman repeatedly returns to throughout this conversation: making people happy.

Speaking to The Knife ahead of opening, Chapman reflects on sustainability, British classics, hospitality lessons learned over decades, and why chasing happy customers now matters more than chasing stars.

Dom Chapman

• You’ve cooked in some of the country’s most respected kitchens. What does opening The Jack O’Newbury feel like at this stage of your career?

It’s an incredible opportunity. It’s the combination of all my career experiences coming together and now having this platform to create something amazing. The place itself is unbelievable – no expense spared, absolutely beautiful.

After years of running pubs where you’re constantly repairing ovens, fixing fridges and patching things together, it’s amazing to now have the opportunity to run something completely new and sustainable. We’ve got solar power on the roof, plans for a kitchen garden, herb garden and wildflower meadow. It feels really special.

• You grew up in hospitality with your family’s hotel in Somerset. How much do those early lessons still shape the way you run a kitchen and dining room today?

Massively. You always revert back to your training and where you started. Every experience – the good and the bad – teaches you something.

Even opening The Jack now, I’m learning from mistakes I’ve made in the past and trying not to repeat them. Experience is a wonderful thing. Nothing happens overnight in this industry, and if you truly love the craft and put the effort in, you can really be rewarded.

• You’ve said before that you simply want to feed people and make them happy. Why is that philosophy still so important to you?

There’s a lot of ego in cooking. For me, food should put a smile on your face. Sitting around a table with family or friends, sharing dishes and having a drink together – that’s the experience I want to create.

I’m not interested in putting weird and wonderful things on a menu if that’s not what people actually want to eat. If people want fresh fish, let’s give them beautiful fresh fish. If they want steaks, let’s give them steaks. My job is to make those things absolutely delicious and vibrant.

Nigel and Dom

• When you first walked through the property, what did you immediately feel it could become?

This has been a four-year project. Originally it was just an old pub with a barn and skittle alley attached. The idea at one stage was to turn it into houses, but thankfully that changed.

What started as "let’s keep it as a pub" slowly evolved into something much bigger; a beautiful pub restaurant with rooms, terraces and outdoor spaces. The old skittle alley is now guest rooms. The barn became more rooms. There’s now a sports bar terrace with a pizza oven and barbecue area.

It’s grown and grown. I always say it’s like planting an acorn and watching it become an oak tree.

• You and Nigel Sutcliffe first crossed paths at The Fat Duck. Why does now feel like the right time to finally build something together?

In hospitality, you need the right people in the right roles. Nigel looks after front-of-house, I focus on the kitchen, and my brother handles the business side and numbers.

That structure works. We all specialise in different areas, and we’ve all got strong teams underneath us, too. Those foundations are so important.

• Berkshire already has some strong food destinations. What gap did you feel The Jack could fill?

The big difference for us is that we’re much more than just a restaurant. We’ve got 11 bedrooms, breakfast, lunch and dinner service, terraces, cocktails; it’s designed to be somewhere people can relax and spend time.

We want it to feel like a community hub. Not somewhere people only visit twice a year for a special occasion. If someone wants breakfast in the morning, we’re there. If they want a wedding celebration or drinks with friends, we’re there too.

Dom and Nigel

• You previously won a Michelin star at The Royal Oak. Has your definition of success changed over the years?

I’ll always have ambition and want to be the best version of myself possible. But these days, success is more about happy customers than chasing accolades.

Sometimes awards can put restaurants on a pedestal where people think they’re only for special occasions. I want to move away from that. I want people to feel comfortable coming here regularly. If you focus on being the best you can be every day, a lot of the recognition comes naturally anyway.

• Looking at the menu itself, what are your personal favourite dishes?

I love the classics. An Omelette Arnold Bennett is a brilliant starter. I also love fish soup.

For mains, I’d choose Dover sole every day of the week if it’s on the menu. Or maybe a beautiful steak with garlic butter. Desserts-wise, I’m a sucker for crème brûlée or a proper steamed pudding.

My whole career has been built around British classics. I want to continue doing that, just elevating them slightly above the norm.

• How much does place influence what ends up on the plate?

Massively. You’ve got to serve the right food for the right environment. This isn’t about super-fiddly food or showing off. It’s about creating an environment where people genuinely want to come back. The food should feel hearty, comforting and appealing, while still being beautifully executed.

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• When guests leave The Jack O’Newbury, what do you hope they say on the journey home?

I want them to say, "That was amazing."

I want people to feel like they’ve had a brilliant lunch or dinner in a place that isn’t pretentious, isn’t overly expensive, and serves food they actually want to eat. An appealing menu is key.

• You’re also continuing with The Crown alongside this new venture. How do you maintain standards across multiple kitchens?

It’s all about the team. My head chef at The Jack has been with me for 20 years. My head chef at The Crown has been with me around 15 years.

You have to develop people properly, give them ownership and make them feel genuinely involved in the business. Strong leadership and strong teams go hand in hand.

• Finally, if we sat down again a year from now, what would make you feel The Jack has achieved exactly what you hoped for?

If the business is busy, the team is happy and customers are giving great feedback, then I’ll be happy too.

Ultimately, I want people saying The Jack O’Newbury is the place to go.

Visit The Jack O’Newbury