Young chef duo take over bar and grill at popular Witney music club

Fat Lil's, a comedy and music club in Witney's Corn Street, has been owned and run by Paul and Fiona Spink for 15 years.

But from March 26 there will be a new couple in charge of the front bar and grill.

It will be operated by young chefs Tom Pickett and Phoebe Hall who currently run The Edge Eatery on Witney High Street.

Mr Spink said: "After months of planning and a fantastic 2022 for both venues, the timing is now perfect.

"Pretty much every show at the club has been sold out ever since the end of the pandemic. There seems to be a real urge to go out and have a good time.

"It is a very rare honour to be in a position to sell a successful business while it is at its top and even rarer to be in a position to buy one that is doing so well."

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Mr and Mrs Spink own four businesses, including The Eagle Tavern on Corn Street, and decided last year to give one of them up to have more time to themselves and to enjoy non-business interests.

Mr Spink said: "We opened the restaurant 15 years ago. It used to be a printing shop and it became available but we didn't do anything for a while.

"Then when it had been empty for a year we had a brainwave, maybe we could have some sort of pre-show dining.

"Originally it was an expansion of the club, but it kind of grew. At the weekends now it's mainly people who are not even going to the show.

"It's become a restaurant in its own right."

He said he "selfishly wanted to somehow pass it on only to local people with the same kind of passion and creative ideas."

"We wanted to offer it to someone who would maintain it, not as it is, but as something complementary to the club side with the same kind of vibe.

"But just as importantly, we really, really like them as people. They remind us of us at half our age!"

Mr Pickett said: "It's really exciting, scary, but exciting. We're getting the keys on March 27 and will be doing a bit of a refurb and should be opening just before the Easter weekend.

"We'll be keeping both businesses and we're going to be doing a nice refined burger menu at Fat Lil's."

Phoebe, 26, from Freeland, and Tom, 27, from Eynsham, started a successful food truck having returned from travelling and been inspired by working in cafes in Queenstown in New Zealand. 

"We both started out as chefs but Phoebe does most of the cooking now," he said. "We started out with a food truck for a year or so and obviously with Covid and stuff we decided to open a cafe."

They opened The Edge Eatery in Witney in 2019 and it was an immediate hit.

Now serving "Aussie brunch food" it also has an alcohol licence and serves a few wines and beers.

Three weeks after opening it had to close due to lockdown, however, it soon bounced back strongly supported by local regulars.

Mr Spink said: "They are excited about expanding their brilliant brand to beautiful, tree-lined Corn Street. They are going for it!

"Tom is very optimistic, maybe a little bit gung-ho like me, and Phoebe is much more pragmatic like my wife."

Mr and Mrs Spink will now concentrate on their "first love" booking the mainly covers and tribute bands along with their son for their music club next door.

They will also continue to offer a ‘proper good old boozer’ pub experience at The Eagle Tavern.

Mr Spink said: "I’d like to thank each and every customer, friend and past or present employee for all the incredible support you’ve given us over all these years.

"For sure it's going to work for Tom and Phoebe."

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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