THIS isn’t so much starting up as coming home for me. My hospitality adventure began at 39 Magdalen Road when my once boss, then business partner, Chloe Horner and I took an underground pop-up restaurant and turned it into a full on, full-time cafe called Oxfork.

I started off naïve to it all, thinking I knew what hard work and dedication was... I didn’t, and Oxfork taught me a hard but very enjoyable lesson. Now, some five years later, and with a couple of coffee shops, The Chester pub and a family under my belt, I’m once again back on the street that in some ways made me who I am today.

When we first opened Oxfork to bring brunch culture to Oxford, Magdalen Road was not the ‘foodie haven’ it’s described as today. In fact, within an hour of taking over the property it was broken into and the majority of our tools stolen! Now it’s brimming with life and has become a real destination for food lovers.

Whenever I start a new business I look to bring something new to Oxford.With The Chester it was all about re-thinking what a pub could be, looking backwards and appreciating the role of pub within a community whilst also re-imagining what pubs ought to be and could be in the future – two years on and we’ve become known for our great (all British) beer selection, friendly service and, of course, Hamzah’s Steak Platter. Oxfork however is sadly no more – brunch culture has moved on a lot but sadly Oxfork didn’t. But those same four walls are soon to become GAF where we are looking to bring a more ‘world wide’ selection of brunch dishes.

Don’t worry, you’ll still get a good old English Breakfast – with our chef Ant having some real surprises up his rolled up sleeves. But if The Chester has become a haven for the carnivorous, to balance up my ethical and environmental compass, GAF is going to be a veg-centric restaurant focusing on showcasing new dishes and getting people excited about vegetables. We even have some amazing veg cocktails making an appearance in our new basement bar area.

Often vegetarians and vegans get the rough end of the menu, having to make do with stuffed this or that, a pasta bake of some description, usually with either mushrooms or goats cheese. Menu choices for veggies are mostly uninspiring and certainly not thought about as much as the rest of the menu.

Not at GAF. Traybakes and quiches are banned. GAF is on a mission to re-address the balance and bring exciting, dynamic and sometimes experimental veg-centric cuisine to Oxford. The whole evening menu is there for the people usually over-looked and forgotten.

We can’t wait to welcome people through the doors. The place is unrecogniseable, with walls being knocked down, Fork-eliers being removed, (the chandelier I made of forks that became something of a talking point), and a whole new vibe created for a whole new concept. The refurbishment is nearly over, and next week staff training begins. On June 27 the doors open and I am so excited about seeing the reaction. Most of all I am really pleased to be back in the heart of OX4, Magdalen Road.