Bryn Jones

Chef-owner Bryn Jones is known for his quietly confident cooking style, rooted in flavour, locality, and a deep respect for produce.

Bryn Jones

“A modest but extremely accomplished chef-patron. Bryn cooks delicious food, serving it with a minimum of fuss and maximum flavour.” – Rev. R. S.

Chef-owner Bryn Jones, together with his wife Oxana, has transformed THE GORDON ARMS Restaurant with Rooms in the Yarrow Valley, Scottish Borders, into one of Scotland’s most admired independent dining destinations since their arrival in April 2022.

Within six months, the couple earned AA Four Stars for both rooms and restaurant, and an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence, recognising Bryn’s dedication to flavour, precision, and genuine hospitality.

Recent national recognition includes:

• The Good Food Guide 2024 & 2025 – awarded The 100 Best Local Restaurants in Great Britain

• The Good Food Guide 2024 & 2025 – main entry with a Good+ rating

• Winner: Best Restaurant with Rooms, South Region 2025, National Hotels of the Year Scotland Awards

• AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence (2022–2026) and AA Four-Star Silver rating as a Restaurant with Rooms

• Green Tourism Silver Award 2023–2026 for sustainable practice

• “A Recipe for Success in the Borders” — by Catriona Thomson, The Scotsman Magazine, October 2025

• The Scotsman (2024) – reviewed by Rosalind Erskine, scored 8–9 / 10

• Featured in The Southern Reporter and other regional publications celebrating THE GORDON ARMS as one of the best restaurants in Britain

Bryn trained at three colleges, including Westminster College in London, and honed his craft at leading establishments such as the Bentley’s Group. He later co-founded The Gourmet Pizza Company and Riviera Restaurants Group, operating six successful London venues for over a decade. After selling his business to Pizza Express, he spent 20 years running The Oxford Arms in Kirtlington, Oxfordshire — a multi-award-winning dining pub featured in The Good Food Guide, AA Pub Guide, The Good Pub Guide, and Sawday’s Great British Pub Guide as one of the Best 500 Places to Eat and Drink in the UK.

Now in the Scottish Borders, Bryn continues to champion his philosophy of maximum flavour with minimum fuss. Every dish reflects his belief in honest cooking, exceptional produce, and quiet craftsmanship — qualities that have earned him loyal guests, critical acclaim, and a place among the most respected chef-owners in Scotland.

Bryn Jones’s rules are very simple:

We do look after you from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

We don’t pile our food up so it looks like a bonfire.

We don’t serve anything but soup in soup plate.

We don’t have ‘A la this’ or ‘A la that’ on our menu.

We do serve only prime cuts of the aged beef.

We do serve more than 80% of local produce.

We do worry about our planet.

Our quality is remembered long after the price is forgiven.

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Consultancy by Chef-Owner Bryn Jones

With a reputation for transforming THE GORDON ARMS Restaurant with Rooms into one of Scotland’s most acclaimed dining destinations in just two years, Chef-owner Bryn Jones now offers tailored consultancy for pubs, restaurants, and hospitality start-ups seeking practical, creative, and commercially sound guidance.

Each project begins with a detailed review of your current concept, menu, and operations, followed by structured stages of support that may include menu development, staffing strategies, kitchen design, and profitability planning. Consultancy is a professional paid service, designed to deliver lasting results and realistic, sustainable growth.

To enquire or receive an outline of how the consultancy process works, please contact us at enquiries@gordonarmsyarrow.co.uk.