After nine years of running The Olive Tree – a Mediterranean tapas restaurant – in Frankwell, Shrewsbury, Sam and Mike Bevans have now created a whole new experience for customers they hope will take the new eatery to their heart.
Now launched as Bevans Neighbourhood Kitchen and Bar, the new menu will be based on the best of British food, sourced mostly from high-quality Shropshire suppliers, led by home-made pies and sausages, including vegan pies and sausages too.
Sam, 44, says: “I don’t mind saying the pies are incredible, all very simple, honest, well-made food, freshly made by us or by suppliers we know and trust (people who love what they do).”
He particularly mentions Corbetts, a butcher based in the town market hall that he has used for over 20 years. Wenlock Edge Farm in Much Wenlock is another favourite supplier.
The restaurant will also have more of a pub atmosphere than previously, with a bar stocked with the best from local suppliers. These include the award-winning Salopian Brewery, based in town and Stonehouse Brewery in Oswestry.
Sam adds: “We get gin and whisky and vodka from Henstone Distillery in Oswestry. They started in a shed at Stonehouse Brewery and now win awards for their products.”
Customers popping in for a drink at Bevans can also taste other beers from suppliers Battlefield Beers. Great Sunday lunches will also be on the menu for a great family meal out.
Sam wants Bevans to be a comfortable place for locals especially to pop into for a full meal, snack or just a drink. He feels rooted in Shrewsbury and has lived in the area since a child. He and his brother have worked in several pubs and restaurants around town since they were teenagers. But after experiencing life as a chef in award-winning kitchens in the Cotswolds and the Isle of Wight, Sam realised he wanted to come back ‘home’ to work in a more intimate, fun and relaxed atmosphere.
He is now in the front of house and brother Mike, 38, who was born in Shrewsbury, is the man cooking up a storm in the kitchen. He also has culinary experience from around the UK.
Sam says: “We both feel this is a return to the roots of where our joint passion for food really lies, in unfussy, honest, indulgent, hearty food. The new restaurant will have a more relaxed pub feel to it as we want it to be a really fun place to be, family-friendly with really good food.
“We want to see a lot more of the locals in the new place and take less bookings so people will feel comfortable just walking in to grab a bite on their way home.
“Running a family business can be a challenge, especially when you live above the restaurant, but it also offers freedom. Supporting us all the way is my wife Becky who works behind the scenes at Bevans, keeping us all in check and making sure the restaurant is running as it should.”
Bevans Neighbourhood Kitchen and Bar in Frankwell is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 11pm and on Sunday 12 noon – 4pm for traditional roast lunches.
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