Expansion of its prestigious pub portfolio is next on the menu for the award-winning Greedy Gordons Pub Group, a culinary collective of bespoke venues showcasing fine dining, creative cuisine and locally sourced produce.
The unique collection of Northamptonshire pubs, restaurants, café and farm shop is raising the bar when it comes to championing the exceptional food and drink for which the county has become renowned.
Sourcing the entrepreneurial ingredients for success, with an appetite for further business expansion, is Head Chef Richard Gordon, who manages the eclectic group of exclusive eateries with his business partner and fellow chef, Sonya Harvey.
The dynamic duo have over 40 years of experience within hospitality and the family-run Greedy Gordons Group boasts four esteemed establishments in Cranford, Lowick, Grafton Underwood and Woodford.
These picturesque locations provide the perfect backdrop for the group’s growing portfolio of food and drink venues, which Richard has set his sights on expanding further.
Richard recalls regularly passing the pubs over the years and always aspired to one day make them his own.
He said:
“Sonya and I are Northamptonshire born and bred. All the villages where we have our businesses are located in places we used to drive past daily, so it’s nice to establish the Greedy Gordons Group where we grew up and still live today. Every venue is on our doorstep and we are in each one daily, seven days a week, to support our team of 100 staff.”
Having travelled the world working in restaurants in many locations, including Spain and the south of France, Richard revealed it was always his plan to return to his Northamptonshire roots to establish his own business.
“I always wanted to open my own multi-site pub company. That was always my ambition from the word go after working for a lot of people for many years – it was by chance we came across the Red Lion at Cranford and it all went from there.”
Six years on and culinary connoisseur Richard hasn’t looked back since, expanding the family empire, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, which hit hospitality particularly hard.
Richard proved he doesn’t do things in half measures when it comes to raising the bar by providing pubs perfect for award- winning wining and dining in stylish, sophisticated settings.
Richard said:
“People thought we were bonkers because we launched two sites mid-Covid! However, when these opportunities come along you have to take them.”
When they took on the Pig & Waffle in Grafton Underwood, which specialises in authentic Spanish tapas, Covid was unheard of, but within two weeks that all changed. Mid-pandemic they also acquired The Snooty Fox, in Lowick and began a one million pound refurbishment which, due to Covid challenges, took two years to complete.
The Snooty Fox shot to fame after being thrust into the global media spotlight following the success of the hit movie Saltburn after news that its cast and crew had regularly dined at the venue while filming on location nearby and had held the film’s wrap party at the pub.
Within the walls of all their eclectic venues, Richard and Sonya have put their own signature stamp on everything from the menu selections and stylish interior design to the ambient aesthetics.
“Everything is down to us, from the menu planning to the design and décor, which has been based on our extensive experience and a love of being different,” said Richard. “If you walked into one of our pubs you would know it was one of ours, however each one has its own different offering, presented in a very different way.”
There’s something all the picture-perfect pubs do have in common – they’re all picturesque period properties perfectly located in scenic settings nestled in rural villages.
Richard added:
“They’re all Grade II* listed buildings steeped in history and have been around for hundreds of years – they’re all beautiful buildings. The Red Lion was a train station, the Snooty Fox an old hunting inn and the Pig & Waffle was the village post office. We’ve retained their natural features, enhancing what’s already there as the buildings speak for themselves, they’re so stylish.”
All the gastronomic group’s venues will toast the countywide culinary celebration of food and drink this June with a host of exclusive events.
Highlights include the return of regular live entertainment and alfresco dining in the relaunched Garden Kitchen and Bar at the Red Lion; The Snooty Fox hosting weekly wine tasting sessions alongside a bespoke beer festival showcasing exclusive American beers never before available in the UK; and there will be paella masterclasses at the Pig & Waffle with the group’s farm shop showcasing different local products daily for 10 consecutive days.
Richard has a lot on his professional plate already, managing the thriving pubs, a popular cigar shop and the recent launch of the group’s newest venture, the GG Express Farm Shop. Situated next to its popular café, The Buttery, at Manor House Farm in Woodford, the farm shop sells an abundance of fresh local produce alongside bespoke brands of drinks.
Made in Northamptonshire brand products are available, alongside an array of exclusive products from further afield, offering customers multiple mouthwatering culinary delights, including hand-made meals, pies, Scotch eggs and more. The farm shop has recently launched its new popular Click and Collect service, another area Richard wants to grow.
He said:
“The long-term vision for the group is to grow; it’s always been our ethos to spread that Greedy Gordon word and expansion of the group.”
Find out more at the website.
