Oliver Way, the 36-year-old landlord of the small but perfectly formed The Swan Inn at Milton swapped life working in theatre and hospitality in London for a return to his roots. Running the Derbyshire pub with dad, Gordon, who also has his own company in the sports sector, they knew they wanted to take it on the second they saw it.
‘We bought The Swan on Friday 13th August 2021 – unlucky for some - but not for us,’ says Oliver. ‘I was in London but after Covid I decided to move back and follow the opportunity The Swan presented to us. My dad oversees the behind-the-scenes business for the pub.’ Here, Oliver, shares his food loves.
Tell us a little about The Swan Inn and why you wanted to take it on.
The Swan sung out to us from the moment we went to view it. A beautiful little country pub, with so much potential waiting to be released. It is perfectly situated in the beautiful hamlet of Milton, surrounded by stunning countryside with amazing footpaths and bridleways - making it the perfect spot.
What is your most vivid childhood food memory?
My grandmother’s birthday cake - she would make the same delicious chocolate sponge and buttercream cake for every grandchild for every birthday - it never got boring. It was the perfect balance of sponge and buttercream, and not even my mother can match it.
Your most memorable meal out?
I lived in Sydney for two years in 2010 and I worked in an incredible seafood restaurant - Flying Fish. The head chef was Sri Lankan and the menu had a heavy influence of Sri Lankan spices. Fortunately, for me as a member of the team, we received a very generous discount, so I could afford to eat there. I specifically remember trying oysters for the first time, which are now a firm favourite and the most outstanding mud crab – very messy to eat, but worth the effort. There was also a beef dish with a Pedro Ximénez reduction – a standout dish in my memory.
If you weren't at The Swan Inn, what would you be doing?
I imagine I would perhaps be working in events - specifically weddings. I love a good wedding. Who doesn’t? I trained as a wedding celebrant in 2018, and I hope to be able to incorporate that work into The Swan Inn and further afield one day.
Who would be at your fantasy dinner party?
Julia Roberts, Dame Shirley Bassey and John Cleese.
Your guilty food pleasure?
I love a crisp and dip. In Australia we used to get packet French onion soup and mix it with sour cream to make ‘Aussie dip’. So simple, but so delicious.
Who are your Derbyshire food and drink heroes?
For us, we love the work that our independent breweries do. Firm favourites of ours would be Little Brewing Company at Darley Abbey and Dancing Duck Brewery in Derby.
A hospitality industry person who inspires?
An old boss of mine, Tom Slegg. I worked for him in a Michelin star restaurant in London for a rather hot-headed chef, and Tom always kept his cool. He went on to open his own two restaurants in central London and I followed to work for him. His knowledge, passion and standard of service certainly rubbed off on me.
A place you love to eat in Derbyshire?
I LOVE The Spa at Breedon Priory. They really have got it spot on. The spa itself is in a league of its own, but the food is just as outstanding – even just a sandwich and a cup of soup in the cafe on a Monday lunchtime is worth going for. I recently went for afternoon tea, and (apart from the goat’s cheese which I personally can’t stand) it was faultless.
A career highlight?
Being told recently by a customer that we are ‘better than we know’. This is firmly cemented in my mind and, although we cannot please all of the people all of the time, I think we are doing a good thing. Our attention to detail, standard of food and service is really beginning to be noticed, and we couldn’t be more proud of our team.
What's next for you and The Swan Inn?
We have plans in the pipeline to expand by building a new restaurant, and accommodation. We aren’t in a rush, so until then we are going to continue offering fantastic food, and excellent service by always keeping The Swan standard.
Oliver’s favourite dish
Gary, our fantastic head chef, with a wealth of knowledge in the industry has created some wonderful menus with us, so this is a hard question to answer, However, on the current menu, for me, the chicken chasseur is a stand out. It is the perfect autumnal dish.
theswanmilton.co.uk
