Modern vegetable-led restaurant Root, by Josh & Holly Eggleton’s The Pony Restaurant Group and co-patrons Rob Howell and Meg Oakley-Howell, is set to expand with the opening of Root in Bath next month. Pegged to open on the 16th October, the restaurant will be their first in Bath and their largest Root to date, joining the existing sites in Bristol and Wells.
The team have taken the former Jamie’s Italian restaurant site, occupying an expansive space over two floors, including a pretty rooftop terrace with views over the city. The space is double-height and light-filled, with the addition of a casual dining and drinks space on the ground floor, serving a dedicated Root cocktail menu. The ground floor bar and dining space will have seating for around 30 covers, whilst the upstairs dining room will have 50 covers, with a further 15 on the terrace outside.
The menu will serve Root’s signature vegetable-led plates, drawing on the abundance of local produce from the Bath and Somerset area, and Rob and Josh’s existing network of artisan suppliers. They are excited to be working with local regenerative farm Middle Ground Growers, who run a 16-acre regenerative farm on the outskirts of Bath, growing certified organic vegetables.
In line with the other Root restaurants, the menu will draw inspiration from a range of European cuisines to create delicious and inventive plates celebrating the best seasonal produce, complemented by sustainably sourced meat and fish. Rob and the team have an inventive approach to the way they prepare and present vegetables, using them from root to tip with a love that appears in inventive ways, such as Celeriac Pastrami or Leek Mayonnaise. They are proud to make almost everything on the menu in-house, from their Root Focaccia to pickles, flavoured butters and hand-rolled pasta.
Sample dishes for the launch menu might include:
Cheese Puffs, Old Winchester, Brown Sauce
Southern Fried Vegetables, Leek Mayonnaise
Carrot & Cashew Houmous, Fermented Carrot, Rye Crackers
Celeriac Pastrami, Bread and Butter Pickles, Remoulade
Smoked Beetroot, Apple, Grilled Radicchio, Walnut Butter
Braised Leeks, Pumpkin Seed Romesco, Fennel, Preserved Lemon
Borlotti Beans, Saffron, Winter Tomatoes, Green Sauce
Homewood Ewe’s Curd Dumplings, Braised Greens, Brown Butter
Fried Cornish Potatoes, Onion Pickle, Mint Yoghurt
Smoked Chicken Breast, Slaw, Honey & Mustard
Whole Grilled Cornish Plaice, Warm Tartare Sauce
Grilled Mackerel, Cucumber, Apple, Jalapeno Mayonnaise
Chargrilled Ox Heart Skewers, Burnt Onion Puree
Dark Chocolate Mousse, Fruit & Nut
Crème Caramel, Brandy Soaked Prunes
Saffron Brioche, Blackcurrants, Clotted Cream
Bath Blue, Eccles Cake
As with all Root restaurants, the team will work with Wolf Wines, Vine Trail and Spiegel & Peach for a thoughtful and varied list, as well as artisanal Somerset ciders and local beers Bristol Beer Factory. There will also be a concise list of produce driven cocktails and mocktails, using seasonal fruits and herbs as well as homemade cordials. Examples might include a Plum Daiquiri, Sloe Gin Fizz or Damson Negroni.
The interiors will feature Root’s classic colour palette of green and earthy tones, offset by warm wood and plenty of natural light. The ground floor entrance reveals an open kitchen, surrounded by casual seating that’s perfect for a quick bite, cocktail or pre-theatre meal. Upstairs is the larger of the two dining spaces, with floor-to-ceiling windows opening onto a pretty outdoor terrace with views of Bath’s rooftops and fields beyond. Both dining rooms will have a mixture of circular tables with leather and corduroy banquettes, dotted with plants throughout, and the team will work with Will Freeman again, who has been integral to the Root branding, to create some beautiful new artworks for the space.
The Root brand, which is part of The Pony Restaurant Group, was originally founded in 2017 by Josh Eggleton and Luke Hasell (The Story Farms and Valley Fest); the idea was borne out of a food festival they ran together in Bristol called Eat Drink Bristol Fashion, aiming to represent localism and create a better connection between the land and restaurants. The Root concept came from this and a keenness to create a forward-thinking veg-led restaurant that puts produce front and centre. They were very much at the forefront of this movement – with the subtle message that we should be eating less meat and that when we do, we should be looking at the provenance of it and celebrating the whole of the animal.
Working with Head Chef Rob Howell, the pair aimed to champion local producers and pull together a menu of small plates which focused on more veg and less meat. The first Root, on the banks of Bristol’s harbourside at the iconic Wapping Wharf, was a huge success and has been a key player in Bristol’s thriving food scene. Co-Patrons, Rob and Meg, were keen to build on the success and in 2022 they opened a second site in their home town of Wells in Somerset. Both restaurants in Bristol and Wells were awarded Michelin Bib Gourmands shortly after opening.
The restaurant will initially open Wednesday – Saturday for lunch and dinner service, with a view to opening on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays shortly after.
Root Bath will open on Thursday 16th October with reservations now live on www.rootrestaurants.co.uk
