DENISE BARKLEY talks to the dynamic trio behind the glorious Sign of the Angel in historic Lacock

the Sign of the Angel in charming Lacock are putting a

modern spin on hospitality at their historic inn.

Brothers Jack and Tom Nicholas are the business brains

behind the venture while award-winning chef Jon Furby

takes charge of the all-important food. Two-and-a-half

years into their ownership, the three friends are delighted

that Sign of the Angel is taking a starring role in village life,

with a happy host of guests and diners from near and far.

“It’s going well and we are so pleased that everyone

seems to be enjoying what we do,” said Tom.

“People from the local community love it here as well as

visitors who eat, drink and stay in our five guest bedrooms

- Lacock attracts tourists from all over the world.”

From an early age, farmer’s sons Jack, 33, and Tom, 31,

were involved in the day-to-day running of Whitley dairy

farm. In 1993, the Nicholas family created a nine-hole golf

course on some of their farmland. The brothers, who did

business degrees at university, still live in properties on

the farm and run Whitley golf course, but they were looking

for a fresh challenge - and the National Trust presented the

perfect opportunity when they put the Sign of the Angel up

for lease.

“We knew Jon and he had huge knowledge and

experience of the industry, having run his own pub for 11

years,” said Tom. “He has a young family and was taking

some time out, but we sort of dragged him back! We knew

the calibre of his food, and believed the three of us would

be a good fit as a working partnership. Fortunately, Jon

agreed.”

Sign of the Angel is a 15th-century Grade II Listed

property, so the trio worked closely with the National Trust

to renovate and update the pub. They opened in October

2014.

“The pub looks lovely now, the old building speaks for

itself and people embrace the history of the place, and the

rustic, cosy feel. It’s always been a respected and popular

pub, in the hands of the same local family for 60 years, but

now we have put our stamp on it,” Tom revealed.

“My wife Anna is a trainee architect and she designed

the five bedrooms with absolute comfort in mind including

some nice little touches such as Roberts radios and a

welcome tray of home-made cookies.”

The business partners are proud of their ‘fantastic team’

of staff which, said Tom, is essential to the success of the

pub.

“Jack and I have been learning on the job, and each day

is a long day!” he grinned. “But we are really enjoying what

we do. We love meeting lots of different people, we’ve had

Jools Holland come in, and Peter Phillips, Princess Anne’s

son. Jon is a classically trained chef and he has really

ignited a passion for British cuisine in our clients, using

as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible. We

have a paddock here and have started to grow our own

vegetables, we also plan to keep pigs and sheep.

“Current favourite on the menu is Jon’s lamb rump

with dumpling, spinach and rosemary crumb, creamed

potatoes, carrots and smoked garlic sauce – it’s absolutely

delicious!”

Great food is what Sign of the Angel is all about, and

partner Jon, 47, is enthusiastic about his modern British

comfort food menu which covers all gastronomic bases

from a two- or three-course set lunch (£19/£22) to a

seven-course tasting menu (£35) with matched wines (£18)

in the two AA rosette restaurant. An indulgent cream tea,

maybe with a glass of Champagne (£24), is the perfect

summer treat and best enjoyed in the gorgeous pub

garden beside the babbling brook.

Jon said that he enjoyed presenting diners with ‘twists

and surprises’.

“I like it when people say ‘ooh – I didn’t expect that’! It

might be a gin and lemonade sorbet between courses,

or an amuse bouche of a little Shepherd’s pie that looks

like a Scotch egg, or some homemade bread. It’s fun, but

never pretentious.”

Jon, who won numerous awards at The Linnet, Great

Hinton, which he ran for 11 years, gave up the pub after

his constant 80-hour weeks began to take their toll. He

was seeing little of his wife Elaine and children George, 14,

and Connie, eight.

“We had no quality time together, and my heart was no

longer in the pub,” Jon explained. “I decided to take some

time off and go to work for someone else – and then Jack

and Tom came along and tempted me back!

“I know the boys value my experience – they are the

brains and I’m the brawn! I’m one of the chefs here at

the Sign of the Angel, never the bossy head chef – it’s all

about the team.”

He had particular praise for his chef de parties Ashley

Jackson and Malachi Moore.

“They are so enthusiastic, and I encourage them to

put together the dishes and menus that they would like

to showcase,” Jon stressed. “I’m still very passionate

about what I do, and it’s great to pass it on to them. Their

positivity is my legacy.”

Fine food is in Jon’s family – his grandad was French

and worked with the great chef Auguste Escoffier, and

his cousin, Kevin Mangeolles, holds a Michelin star at the

Neptune restaurant in Norfolk.

Jon is still working long hours, but his heart is now firmly

in the job.

“While we were getting Sign of the Angel up-and-running

it was seven days-a-week training the kitchen team and

front of house staff,” he grinned.

“The second year it went down to maybe 65 hours-aweek

and now that the business is buzzing I’m aiming to

reduce even more, to about 50 hours!”

The hours may be long, but it’s clear this dynamic trio

are in for the long haul, and the celestial stars are shining

brightly at Sign of the Angel.

Sign of the Angel, Church Street, Lacock SN15 2LB, call

01249 730230, www.signoftheangel.co.uk