New Start For Not-So-Troubled House

Among the locals, royal neighbours and occasional ghost, there are two very new faces to be seen at Michelin starred Cotswold Pub, The Trouble House. From August, Martin Caws will become the new head chef and proprietor at the popular 17th Century, stone-built pub in Tetbury, continuing in the legacy of Michelin star chef Michael Bedford, with whom he has formerly worked during an equally illustrious career.

Martin will be joined by his wife Neringa, who will be looking after front of house, and their year-old son Lucas.

Highly reputed, the Trouble House, a Wadworth’s pub which has been run by Michael and his wife Sarah since 2000, has become an increasingly popular destination for local foodies and further-reaching visitors alike. Continuing very much in the path that Michael has so carefully laid, Martin has designed an unpretentious seasonal menu using high-quality, local produce and offering wholesome and honest dishes.

Prior to The Trouble House, his first solo venture, Martin was head chef and one of the opening team at Village East; during his time there, Village East received a number of acclamations including a Michelin Recommendation and was voted one of the best restaurants of 2006 by both The Independent and Vogue. His enviable experience within the London restaurant scene also includes two years as head chef at one-Michelin-star restaurant Mirabelle, two years as sous-chef at The Oak Room for three-Michelin-star chef Marco Pierre White, and a year working with Tom Aikens at two-Michelin-star Pied a Terre. Martin also spent time working at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons and Le Petite Blanc in Oxford.

Commenting on the move, Martin said: “It is a very exciting time for the family – not only that we are escaping busy London living, but also that we will be working for ourselves for the first time and realising our dreams within a wonderful new Cotswold’s community.

“When I very first started out as a chef, I spent two and a half years with Mauro Bregoli at The Old Manor House in Romsey. Working alongside him as he shot and butchered his own game, and picked ingredients locally for that day’s mushroom risotto, he quickly became someone who I admire enormously. Having since worked in some of the most revered restaurants across the country, with the world’s finest ingredients at my fingertips, it is very satisfying to now have gone almost full-circle back towards the hunter-gatherer type approach my career originally began with.

“While I do hope to make my own stamp at The Trouble House, and breathe some new life into it after almost seven very successful years under Michael and Sarah, I am also very keen to maintain the Michelin Star quality that guests have come to expect there and hopefully finally achieve this accolade for myself.”

The Trouble House, Cirencester Road, Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Troublehouse.co.uk