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RURAL VOICES with Merlin Labron Johnson
5th July 2025
Welcome to Rural Voices, our monthly series of carefully curated talks served with a full cooked breakfast!
Get your weekend off to a fantastic start - arrive at 9am for a delicious home-cooked breakfast (vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options available) made with locally sourced produce. We work with what is seasonally available, so alongside bacon & sausages from Horningsham’s own September House smallholding, we have also used produce from Pythouse Farm, Till Valley Eggs, Moonacre Farm, Vallis Veg, White Row Farm and Ivy House Dairy. Whilst you enjoy a cup of fresh-ground coffee, we will lay on a talk exploring our theme of 'creative and resilient rural communities'. We are inviting a range of fascinating and eclectic speakers including farmers, writers, artists, historians and much more - many of them local - who are collectively weaving an amazing narrative tapestry about rural life and resilience.
This month's speaker is chef and owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Osip (Bruton), Merlin Labron Johnson. He will be in conversation with food artist Cherry Truluck about locally sourced food and the 'farm-to-table' ethos.
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ABOUT MERLIN LABRON JOHNSON:
Raised in Devon, England, Merlin worked in Michelin starred restaurants all over the world before becoming sous chef to Kobe Desramaults at legendary restaurant 'In de Wulf' in rural Belgium. While Merlin was there, In de Wulf was voted 'Best restaurant in Europe' by OAD and also featured on numerous 'world's best restaurant' lists.
In 2014 Merlin moved back to the UK to launch 'Portland' restaurant to great critical acclaim, earning the restaurant a Michelin star within 9 months of opening at the age of 24. A year later he launched 'Clipstone', a neighbourhood restaurant in Fitzrovia which won the title of 'restaurant of the year' at the GQ awards as well as numerous 5 star reviews from critics such as AA Gill, Tom Parker Bowles and Jay Rayner. In 2018 Merlin devoted his year to working with charities such as Help Refugees, Food For Soul and the Felix Project and was subsequently included in Forbes '30 Under 30' list for Europe as well the Code's '30 under 30' list for Hospitality for the UK.
Osip opened in Bruton in 2019 and moved to a larger and more rural location nearby in 2024.
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Please arrive promptly at 9am for breakfast, the talk will begin at 9.45am.
BOOK NOW! Tickets are £12.50 or £10 for Horningsham residents (use promo code 'horningsham' at checkout) - All profits go to the Village Hall Regeneration Fund.
If you need any help with booking please contact cherry@horningshamvillagehall.com