Bill Leadbeater
With an established reputation for outstanding food, Bill has seen the Masons Arms become a success story within an area of intense local competition. Not content to rest on the laurels of his award winning food, Bill's menu has developed to reflect his knowledge of ingredients. Featuring dishes he has formulated personally, The Masons Arms offers a truly pleasing approach to cuisine. Bill's style includes putting a modern, personal twist on old-fashioned cuts of meat such as shin of beef, lamb shanks, pig's cheek, belly of pork and ox tongue. A seasonal signature of Bill's menu is a main course consisting of one particular type of meat done two to three ways, past examples including, haunch of venison two ways - casserole and steak
Bill Leadbeater has previously worked as a chef in London’s top hotels, worked in France for four years as well as for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey and the legendary Marco Pierre White, the youngest chef in the world and the first Briton to be awarded three Michelin stars. "Working for Marco was a revelation. The uncompromising attention to all areas of cooking, from produce selection, ingredients and theory to technical ability and presentation; the pursuit of excellence extended to each plate that left the kitchen. Truly inspiring."
Also admired by Bill are Elizabeth David and Isabella Beeton: "They were great creators of original cuisine. We are taking those dishes and bringing them into the 21st century."
Bill's success since taking over the Masons Arms with his wife Charmaine and business partner Tom Aldous has seen the business expand, "We marked our first year with a 300% rise in food sales and have continued on an upward path.. Demand has led us to extend the property to include a separate dining room which increased our covers from 55 to 80 and enlarge the kitchen." Click here to listen to Bill's interview.
