What Merlin did next

Exciting news from Bruton, where formerly London-based chef Merlin Labron-Johnson has just celebrated a year of his Osip restaurant. During lockdown he spent a lot of time growing his own produce and strengthening ties with other Somerset suppliers and now he is to launch a wine bar and epicerie to celebrate this. The Old Pharmacy, in a 16^th-century building in the same small town, in inspired by those charming rural French venues. 

Open for coffee in the morning through lunch to an evening service with wine, ciders and small plates – plus groceries to take home – The Old Pharmacy will see Labron-Johnson working with David Durban, formerly of Petersham Nurseries and Frenchie. 

Somerset’s bounty, from farm produce to meat to locally-milled flours, will sit alongside a small selection of wine and olive oil from Sicily, where the chef frequently travels. He comments “The Old Pharmacy feels like a natural progression from Osip. At the restaurant we let the home-grown, seasonal ingredients shine, so I wanted The Old Pharmacy to continue in this vein and allow locals and visitors alike to be able to take home the same produce we use at the restaurant just a few doors down.” 

The Old Pharmacy will open in January. For more information visit @theoldpharmacybruton on Instagram. 

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