Pub in the Park 2025: Michelin-starred chefs 'raise a pint' with Marlow friends

Marlow’s highly anticipated annual food and music festival is in full swing for 2025.

Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park kicked off in Higginson Park yesterday (Thursday) to celebrate the ‘best of British pub culture’.

Musical performances began with Squeeze and Billy Ocean, and a lineup of Jess Glynne, Will Young, Pixie Lott, Daniel Bedingfield, and Dizzee Rascal will take to the stage this weekend.

Pub in the Park, launched in 2017, is curated by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and friends and gives visitors an insight into the foodie spots on offer in Marlow.

Among them is twice Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, who runs Vaasu in Chapel Street and Sindhu inside the town’s Compleat Angler Hotel.

Pictured: Atul Kochhar at his Vaasu stall at Pub in the Park 2025.

The restaurateur has attended every Pub in the Park since its inception and says his close friend, Tom Kerridge, is one of the reasons he came to Marlow.

“When I was offered the Compleat Angler, I asked his advice and he said you should take it, it’ll be good, and I've never looked back since,” said Atul.

“I’ve always liked the suburbs. I've always liked being outside London, and it's a place where real people live, and you meet them every day. They become part of your life.”

While speaking to the Advertiser, a second queue formed parallel with those ordering food at the Vaasu stall, as Marlow residents were eager to take a selfie with the esteemed chef.

“I love meeting people,” added Atul.

“This is my chance to come out and say hello to everyone, so I spend all my four days standing here and talking to people.

“A lot of them I know because they come to the restaurant frequently, but also I'm not in the stiff mode – I’m not worried about how the service is running, I'm easy, they are easy, and we can have a laugh and banter.”

On Sunday, May 18, Atul Kochhar will do a book signing, feature on the Let’s talk GoodFood podcast and take to the Miele Kitchen studio stage for a chef demonstration.

“Whenever it eases off, I roam around and see all the chefs because we hardly socialise with each other, and this is the time to raise a pint with them and say ‘Hey, good to see you, buddy, it's been a long time'.

“I'm very proud to be part of Pub in the Park, and I always look up to Pub in the Park.

“It’s as much mine as it’s Tom’s to be honest – that’s how I see it, whether he likes it or not,” he joked.

“I hope that we'll continue to be here.”

Food enthusiasts can enjoy a jam-packed itinerary until May 18 with chef royalty Raymond Blanc OBE and Yotam Ottolenghi and TV favourites Matt Tebbutt and Simon Rimmer.

The four-day retreat has a packed schedule with gourmet food and drink experiences, Fire Pit Masterclasses, exclusive chef Q&A’s and demonstrations in The Miele Kitchen Studio.

Adding to the lineup are Ben Tish’s The Grazing Goat, Candice Brown’s The Green Man Pub, and viral sensation Ginger Wings. 

For more information, visit https://www.pubintheparkuk.com/marlow