Former Scott’s Head Maitre d’ Ed Wyand and chef Tom Fraser have broken ranks and struck out on their own with Verden, a new wine bar and restaurant in London’s Clapton district. The duo have been joined in the venture by former Ogilvy PR man Tom Bell, and together they have transformed a knackered old corner pub into two spiffing new dining rooms arranged over two floors.
The bulk of the credit on the design front goes to Pippa Murray and Simon Lamason of fellow E5 residents Other Works. The pair employed Scandinavian and Japanese design principles on the job, which extended to them designing much of the furniture which was then made by artisans up in Cumbria. The attention to detail at Verden knows no bounds; guests will be enjoying Tom’s menu on handmade tableware by Billy Lloyd, for example. Tom, who is moving up from sous chef at Scott’s to take the helm at Verden, is of the nose-to-tail school of cookery. There will be short evening menus changing daily with three mains, and at the weekends brunch runs all day. There is also wine. Lots of wine.
