L'Ortolan was a

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by their high level of refined and elaborate food preparation techniques and displays of balanced meals that have ...

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

in the village of

Shinfield Shinfield is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Wokingham, Berkshire, England. It lies just south of Reading, around from the town centre, and covers an area of . Shinfield Park is the northern part of the parish, becoming physical ...

, south of the centre of

Reading, Berkshire Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is the United Kingdom's largest town, with a combined population of 355,596. Most of Reading built-up area, its built-up area lies within the Borough ...

, England. The restaurant closed its doors for the final time in August 2024. It was located in the village's old

vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or Minister (Christianity), ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of n ...

building, which is a Grade-II listed building dating back to the 1840s. Originally a three-story structure, the building endured substantial fire damage during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, resulting in the loss of its top floor. The building was first opened as a restaurant by chef Richard Sandford in 1978, when it was known as Milton Sandford, winning a

Michelin star The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

in 1982. It was then purchased by Nico Ladenis, who left the restaurant he renamed as Chez Nico, less than a year later in 1986. A few months later,

John Burton-Race John William Burton-Race (born 1 May 1957) is a British former Michelin starred chef, television personality and celebrity chef, made famous by the Channel 4 series ''French Leave'' and its sequel ''Return of the Chef'' and '' I'm a Celebrity... ...

opened the restaurant, calling it L'Ortolan. Run by

for 13 years, the restaurant was purchased by Peter Newman in 2000, who appointed

Alan Murchison Alan Murchison (born 1971) is a former Michelin-starred Scottish chef and restaurateur, living in England. Career Murchison started his kitchen career as a kitchen porter, aged 14. Like most chefs, he worked in a number of restaurants, learning ...

as head chef. Murchison left the restaurant in 2003, and Daniel Galmiche took over for a year.

returned in 2004 as executive head chef with the option to buy the restaurant. Murchison left in 2014, and Peter Newman took over the running of the restaurant. James Greatorex took over as head chef in 2020, serving till June 2024, when Jamie Pierce was appointed in the position. However, the restaurant announced its closure just a month after Pierce's appointment, and closed its doors for good in August 2024. The restaurant had held a Michelin star from 2003 until 2022 when the award was rescinded, and had three AA rosettes in 2023.

References

External links

"Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd in liquidation"
(26 November 2013) by Amanda Afiya and Neil Gerrard at The Caterer
Alan Murchison Restaurants Limited
at Gov.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Ortolan, l Restaurants in Berkshire Michelin-starred restaurants in the United Kingdom Borough of Wokingham