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
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