Chef Sam Squires leaves The Old Crown Coaching Inn after four successful years, succeeded by Jamie Whiting.

Chef Sam Squires has departed The Old Crown Coaching Inn in Faringdon, Oxfordshire, after four years that brought two AA Rosettes and a 2024 Best Restaurant award from Ox in a Box. He cited a desire for better work-life balance and has taken a new role at a private school in Oxford. The pub has appointed Jamie Whiting, head chef at sister venue The Black Horse, to succeed him. Whiting, with over four years at the pub group, will continue the restaurant’s focus on seasonal ingredients and elevated dining with a new menu set to launch soon.