It has been pointed out to me that the family name plus the 3 brothers’ strong profiles on social media sometimes overshadows our brand, so it is worth pointing out that there is much more to Local & Wild than just the Gladwins. Overall there are 130 members of the team, led by highly motivated and dedicated managers and head chefs. These are the people ready to welcome you, cook for you and host you the moment you walk through one of our doors. Here’s to the unsung heroes of Local and Wild!

I have one of those early childhood memories where you are never sure if you really recall it or whether you heard your mother tell the story so often, a firm image had fixed in your head.

We were living in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia at the time) and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother came for an official visit. Big excitement, the wide boulevards of Harare (Salisbury at the time) were lined with enthusiastic onlookers all waving union jack flags. When the carriage processed by, a five year old me was apparently chasing a butterfly and I missed the whole thing.

I regret that this months’ Solar Eclipse brought a little déja vu. There was a lot of talk about colanders and special glasses but some confusion over the time we needed to assemble for the spectacle. I did notice a modest darkening of the sky as I strode up a hill in the opposite direction from the sun but I am afraid I missed the whole thing so perhaps I just have to imagine:

The Downs darken across golden squares of cut stubble, grouted with thick Hawthorn hedges. Beyond is a jet black sea, the sun slowly sinking to the west is quite suddenly partially obscured by an invisible moon.