The Gin Trap Inn in Ringstead, Norfolk, has appointed Ashley Williamson as head chef. Williamson spent 11 years at Benedicts in Norwich, which the release describes as one of Norfolk’s best restaurants, and has now joined the Chestnut pub to lead its kitchen.
Born and raised in the Norfolk countryside, Williamson was a member of the Benedicts launch team in 2015 and rose to head chef before leaving to return to his rural roots. During his time there, the restaurant was awarded three AA Rosettes and listed in the Michelin Guide.
A career rooted in Norfolk
Williamson cooked with his mother from a young age, using vegetables grown by his grandfather, and got his first kitchen job at 14. He went on to work at the award-winning pub The Wiveton Bell and at Morston Hall, the Norfolk restaurant, before joining Benedicts.
His move into a rural pub kitchen adds to a busy picture for country pub dining, where some venues are also experimenting with collaborations, as with the countryside pubs swapping menus for January.
A menu built on the regional larder
At The Gin Trap Inn, Williamson is building on the pub’s food heritage. His menus draw on the seasonal larder of Norfolk and the East of England, from locally sourced game and venison to Brancaster mussels, King’s Lynn brown shrimps and other regional produce.
Highlights from the new menu include a game terrine of pheasant, pigeon, partridge and venison, alongside local venison loin served with celeriac purée, kale and blackberry jus.
A former coaching inn
Dating back to 1668, The Gin Trap Inn was once a traditional coaching inn. Chestnut acquired the pub in December 2024. According to the release, the pub’s existing reputation for good food gives Williamson a foundation to elevate the menu using Norfolk’s seasonal produce, while keeping the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional country pub where locals and their dogs mix with destination diners.
Ashley Williamson said: “Great hospitality is more than just what’s on the plate. From the moment people walk through the door to the moment they leave, and even breakfast the next morning if they’ve stayed over, it’s about making people happy. I want to walk in on a Sunday lunchtime and see people smiling, gathered around the fire with their dogs by their side, sharing a good roast with a big Yorkshire pudding and a nice piece of beef. That’s what a proper country pub should be, and that’s what I want to bring to The Gin Trap.”
Founded in 2012, Chestnut is a collection of pubs with rooms and Big House hotels in the East of England. Its portfolio also includes wine merchants Peter Graham Wines, fragrance house Connock England and The Bottle Shop, its direct to consumer wine business. Other Chestnut properties in North Norfolk include The Wiveton Bell, The Lifeboat Inn at Thornham and The Globe Inn in Wells-next-the-Sea.
The Gin Trap Inn is on High Street, Ringstead, Norfolk, PE36 5JU.
Details and image via The Gin Trap Inn.
