Our Story
Get to Know Us
Pommes and Butlers owners, Lawrence & Lina, are both very passionate foodies. They love learning, exploring and bickering about quality food and drink. They love going to both traditional and craft pubs and trying out new things. Their days off and business meetings often end up in pubs. Lawrence and Lina grew up outside of UK but love the uniqueness of pub culture. While both of them have been in hospitality industry for many years (they've met each other in their early 20s, while working in the same restaurant), their hospitality business journey began in 2022 where they decided to try out running a pub. This wasn't their first business together and they've been talking about this idea for a few years. The pub was a beautiful 15th century inn, with traditional black and white exterior and exposed timber inside. What was initially a dream come true, turned into a nightmare very quickly, so after putting all their heart and soul into it, they ended up closing that chapter and leaving for much needed soul searching and traveling.
Their unfortunate experience didn't put them off hospitality, but they decided to take a slightly different route and try out private dining. Their creative freedom is very important to them, and this sounded like something that could work. Pommes and Butlers' predecessor, Phat Chef Kitchen was born at the end of 2023 and after a very successful year, Lawrence & Lina decided to rebrand and move away from Phat Chef Kitchen. While their previous brand represents their quirky personalities and passion, it didn't represent the food. Therefore, the beginning of 2025 now marks the birth of Pommes and Butlers. What does it represent? Pommes is an old French word for fruit, which, in modern speech, is sometimes used as a shorter version for 'potato' (pomme de terre). Potato is a humble and extremely versatile vegetable. It marks our humble beginnings. Which then leads us to 'Butlers' part - the family name.
Lawrence & Lina have over 30 years of experience in hospitality, catering and customer service between them. Their food represents a sophisticated comfort. The Butlers love taking classic dishes and elevating them to the next level. They don't want to stop at private dining and the owners are planning ways to expand into different parts of the country, as well as providing luxury holiday hampers and partnerships with local holiday homes. Stay tuned with their plans and announcements by subscribing to our newsletter.
General Manager
Lina Butler
Our manager Lina is a jack of all trades when it comes to hospitality, customer service, business management and home cooking. She met Lawrence while working at a French restaurant and they bonded over laughter, love for good food, and quality drinks. While she mostly enjoys spending time behind the scenes of running a business, she often joins Lawrence on his private events to lend a helping hand so your events can go as smoothly as possible. Her favourite dish is Lo Bak Go (Radish Cake) from Dim Dim Sum restaurant in Hong Kong.
Executive Chef
Lawrence Butler
Our chef Lawrence has near 2 decades of culinary experience. He started working in professional kitchens at age 16, working his way up into AA rosette and Michelin scene and finally running his own kitchen. Having had a lot of exposure to different cultures and cuisines via his family's heritage, as well as travels, he loves to pull the experiences into his cooking, by creating outstanding fusion dishes. He brings most influences from France, Italy, China and Japan. A drive for personal improvement led him to start his own private chef business with his wife. His favourite dish is Wonton Noodles from Tsim Chai Kee Noodle restaurant in Hong Kong.