The huge blow to hospitality last year sadly saw the closure of two of his restaurants – The Frog Hoxton and Ugly Butterfly – but Handling said he is “determined his group will bounce back from this long year of lockdowns with all guns blazing”.
His plan is to make this new venture one of the most sustainable pubs in the UK, complete with two bedrooms for overnight guests.
The chef – whose restaurants include flagship Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden and Adam Handling Chelsea at the Belmond Cadogan – said everything about The Loch & The Tyne will be “rooted in sustainable British luxury”.
The site includes its own vegetable gardens, orchard, flowerbeds, an area for composting biodegradable waste from the kitchen, and solar panels to reduce electricity consumption.
Handling has also teamed up with Estrella Damm to create an eco-beer garden which will incorporate solar-panelled phone charging points, blankets made from recycled materials, hot water bottle covers knitted by his mum, and table decor using homegrown herbs. Upcycled furniture will be used throughout the building, and water from all sinks will be recycled as toilet water, minimising water waste.
The two bedrooms available at The Loch & The Tyne will feature a freestanding bath in the living room, “a decadent breakfast feast”, full access to the pub’s surrounding gardens and the option to take one of the Nespresso Velosophy bikes – made using recycled coffee capsules – out for a spin.
The Loch & The Tyne is due to open on 17 May and can also offer weddings and private events.
Bespoke packages include a two-night gastronomic offer with a stay, lunch or dinner in The Loch & The Tyne and a meal at Frog in London, with private chauffeur to take guests to and from each of the locations.
In another first, Handling has named two of his chefs as co-chef proprietors, with Steven Kerr as group executive chef, and Jonny McNeil – head chef at Adam Handling Chelsea – taking the reins on the new venture.
The name of the pub is even representative of where Handling first met both Kerr and McNeil – 2008 in Newcastle and 2010 in St Andrews.
“I’ve always dreamed of having a pub as part of the group and to have Steven and Jonny, who have both worked with me for such a long time, at my side is such a great feeling,” Handling said. “I’ll be visiting them every Sunday for a roast and a pint.”
