Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi is to leave the Surrey pub he acquired in 2016, with Bermondsey-based chef José Pizarro taking over the site from early March.
Pizarro has announced that he will be turning The Swan Inn in Esher into a "Spanish pub", following on from Bibendum chef Bosi’s two-and-a-half-year stint offering a modern British menu. Bosi has been the owner of multiple pubs throughout his career, including the Fox and Grapes in Wimbledon.
At the pub in the Esher town, which lies south west of Kingston, Pizarro will serve up his famed tapas dishes alongside a mixture of real ales, draught beer and Spanish lager Estrella Damm.
“For years I have dreamed of opening a pub but this is the first time it has been the right building in the right place,” said Pizarro.
The menu will feature classic pub dishes with “a José twist”, alongside croquetas, Spanish tortilla and premium 100 per cent 5J Jamón Ibérico. The pub will also serve breakfast, with five rooms available for overnight stays in the converted barn next door, and will boast both an open fire for winter and space for al fresco dining in warmer months.
José Pizarro currently owns two restaurants in Bermondsey – Pizarro, and tapas bar José – as well as a second Pizarro location in Broadgate Circle.
“I am very excited for this next chapter,” Pizarro added. “There is not much else that is better than sitting in front of a roaring fireplace with local friends enjoying a pint, and I can’t wait to have that at The Swan.”
A representative for Bosi's team said: "Claude is moving on from his very successful stint in Esher as he wishes to dedicate more time and energy to Bibendum in London."
José Pizarro will take over The Swan Inn from early March 2019. For more information, visit josepizarro.com
