Bristol restaurateur, Dan O’Regan revealed as new food columnist for Country Living

Owner and founder of BANK Bristol and Lapin, Dan O’Regan has been announced as the new food columnist in Country Living, with his first piece now published in the leading lifestyle magazine’s new-look April issue.

Following a raft of awards and critical acclaim for his restaurants in Totterdown and Wapping Wharf – run in partnership with executive chef and co-owner, Jack Briggs-Horan – the column will be themed around Dan’s life in hospitality, from growing produce on his allotment, right through to the ebb and flow of each service. Tying in with Country Living’s well-established food philosophy, the column will connect the joy of dining out back to the land and the changing seasons.

This announcement comes less than a year after Dan launched his Substack profile, Notes on a Napkin. Offering warm, honest and incisive comment on the daily challenges of hospitality, the blog has gone onto garner appreciation from leading figures across the industry, including praise from top restaurant critic, Jimi Famurewa in Broadsheet last month, where he commented on the “articulate openness” of Dan and others, as “a means to bring customers in and help them understand the opaque inner-workings of a pivotal but frequently misunderstood industry.”

With its monthly circulation of 177,000 copies, Country Living is one of the UK’s most widely read and respected magazines, now providing an expanded platform for Dan’s unique take on flavour, people, pricing, wine and more. Upcoming columns will reflect on his move from London to the West Country, life closer to the countryside, the ethos behind his restaurants and the role of his allotment in providing both ingredients for the kitchen, and balance in his life.

Dan O’Regan commented:

“Writing has been a hugely cathartic process for me over the past year of highs, lows and new launches, so I’m absolutely delighted to have a new outlet for it with my column in Country Living. It will be an honour to contribute to such a highly regarded publication, and offer more people a glimpse into an industry that I’m enormously proud and grateful to work in. Expect an insight into a mind consumed with everything from produce to plating up and the rhythm of a perfect service, with some nice seasonal food ideas along the way.”

BANK Bristol is open from Tuesday to Thursday 6pm - 10pm, Friday & Saturday from 12pm to 10pm and Sunday from 12pm - 7pm. Diners can book via www.bankbristol.com.

Lapin is open Tuesday & Wednesday from 5.30pm to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to 3.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 8pm. Diners can book via www.lapinbristol.co.uk.