First-time publican Kelly Shaw has left behind a career in cyber-security to relaunch a 16th-century Hampshire village pub as a modern countryside destination. The Ship in Bishop’s Sutton, a mile from the market town of Alresford, opens later this month, taking bookings from next week for tables in its 44-cover main space or a private dining room seating up to 22 guests.
Kelly, 35, who grew up in nearby Winchester, identified a gap in the local market when she returned to the county to develop her interior design company Ivy House Life last year, after living in London.
“I found there wasn’t anywhere to go,” she said. “I’m not one of those relocate from London and say everything is rubbish, but I saw a gap where food service on par is really hard to find. You go somewhere where there’s really good food, but maybe the service is lacking a little bit. I wanted to create somewhere where I wanted to go, where the food is just as good as the welcome you get when you come through the door. I wanted to exceed people’s expectations, but it’s not fine dining. It is just beautifully done food that will be elevated from your normal pub, but which isn’t pretentious”.
Kelly’s interior design company Ivy House Life has transformed the historic site into a modern multi-use space using soft textures and calm, natural colours, while chef Tristan Lee has created a short, seasonal menu whose early highlights include dishes like ham hock doughnuts with piccalilli, plaice goujons in brown butter, pork schnitzel with samphire and fennel remoulade, trout with roasted shallots, bacon and watercress, beetroot tart with ricotta and cherries, and chocolate mousse and lemon meringue pie. Like many contemporary restaurants in London, The Ship’s wine list is entirely organic and biodynamic.
While her career path to date is far from conventional, Kelly explains its logic: “In my late teens, as soon as I was able, I was working in pubs in Winchester for two or three years, so I am used to the crazy work weeks in the pub trade. I went on to pursue a decade-long career in global cyber security consultancy before deciding to unleash my creative side through interior design.
“When I decided to take over The Ship, I knew my unique blend of experiences would come together, and I have been able to draw on my technical and business acumen while considering the sensory richness of dining and design, all of which are in constant dialogue with each other.
“I went into cybersecurity from an operations point of view, and ended up running the global operations for 500 people. It was all people-orientated – it is what I point to when people ask ‘Why this?’. If you work with people, customers and clients, it is all customer-facing, so it doesn’t really matter what industry you are in; they are at the forefront constantly. This, for me, does not seem abnormal. It just means that I’m face-to-face with these people on a daily basis rather than on the phone.
“I want to create a team that works together. It is a beautiful environment”.
