The Hut is a renowned destination restaurant situated on the Isle Of Wight. Introducing the high-energy of Europe’s beach restaurants to the English coast, step into a leisurely lifestyle destination that sets a new standard for laissez-faire lunches and al fresco days filled with music, drinks (and on occasion) the welcomed English sunshine.
Being fortunate enough to live and grow up a quick boat trip from this nautical hotspot, since opening over a decade ago, year on year I’ve seen The Hut not only grow in confidence, but importantly maintain a reputation that has certified its position as not only a restaurant, but an in-demand lifestyle destination brand.
With discerning diners flying, boating, and ferrying to the beachside bay, the team ensures there is substance in their style. With a menu worth writing home about, The Hut’s kitchen is headed up by chef Paul Rusu who established a culinary career across several renowned London fine-dining restaurants to hone his craft. This includes a string of leading London brands from Soho House, Mews of Mayfair, The Ivy, Corrigan’s Mayfair, The Ned, Berners Tavern and now at The Hut, Colwell Bay.
Working at The Ned, a restaurant and member’s club buried in the depths of the city of London, it was here that Paul met several members of what The Hut team would later be. Moving from the urban jungle of the capital to the nautical waterfront of Colwell Bay, Paul and his colleagues cultivated the next chapter for this sophisticated Solent spot. I spoke with chef Paul to find out how they are integral to ensuring The Hut maintains an incredible momentum, his Asian influences and how the menu has evolved.
How do you ensure the menu at The Hut reflects its destination?
The key ingredients for all dishes are fresh locally sourced fish and seafood to ensure we stay true to the restaurant’s location and provide the diners with a premium sea-front dining experience.
Can you tell me more about the relationships you have with any local producers?
We have a very strong relationship with all local producers, and they supply us with the freshest products that we incorporate into our menu. At the beginning of each season, we visit the key suppliers to better understand their operations and strengthen our collaboration for the upcoming season.
What inspires you most about food and how can this be seen (and tasted) by diners who visit?
I love exploring and blending flavours from around the world to create new and exciting dishes that will be unique for the diners. This year’s menu was inspired by Asian cuisine and diners can taste the flavours in most of our dishes.
How has the menu at The Hut evolved over the last few years?
We use premium ingredients and have incorporated flavour and sophistication into the dishes moving away from more classic fish and seafood cooking. We are always exploring and experimenting with flavours to evolve our menu and introduce new seasonal offerings.
There are some Asian touches seen throughout the menu – can you touch on why this more exotic element has been woven in?
Asian cuisine has a wide source of ingredients that has always fascinated me. By incorporating some of the spices and employing some of the Asian cooking techniques we were able to evolve the flavour of our dishes. The diner can taste the strong umami flavour in the XO sauce of one of our signature dishes, scallop and pork or in the broth of our sea bream.
What has been the most popular dish this season?
Scallop and pork XO dressing and char sui glaze and Sakura cress are definitely the most ordered dishes this season.
Can you tell us if anything is exciting in the pipeline from The Hut’s kitchen?
We plan to maintain our Asian-inspired cooking and incorporate some Mediterranean influences into our dishes to offer a broader choice of options and continue to create a unique and exciting dining experience for our guests.
A new Caribbean chapter
The next chapter for The Hut is more exciting than anyone could’ve foreseen. This November the lifestyle destination has just announced its new location on the white sandy shores of Antigua. Coined The Hut, ‘Little Jumby’ the restaurant will no doubt be a magnet of intrigue for the restaurant’s globetrotting clientele, hidden on its own private island and surrounded by the iconic settling of the Caribbean.
Fusing relaxed dining with The Hut’s trademark vibrant rhythm to bring something truly exciting to the Caribbean, this incredibly exciting venture will be located off Antigua’s north coast, between the mainland and its sister island Jumby Bay Island which spans 300 secluded acres and is home to 4.5 miles of pristine shoreline. Reflective of the English flagship, this Caribbean counterpart will serve up the brand’s popular plates. Accessed by a short ferry or private boat ride, guests will be met by The Hut team on the private jetty in anticipation of a day spent on the stunning white sands of Little Jumby.
Factbox
Address: The Hut, Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight, PO40 9NP
Phone: 01983 898 637
Website: thehutcolwell.co.uk
