It started with coffee
Our story began in 2017, when Joe and his wife moved from London to Amersham and took over the local newsagent’s on The Broadway.
They started serving coffee. Then came a few dishes, more tables to eat at and more reasons to stay. The newsagent’s gradually became a café, and the café became part of the neighbourhood.
People came for breakfast, picked up a sandwich or stopped for coffee and cake. The old newsagent’s sign stayed on the wall. A small piece of the building’s past, still at home in its new surroundings.
A table at Twelve Twenty
In 2019, chef Mark Durman joined the team and helped develop the food. Twelve Twenty became somewhere to spend the evening too, with plates to share and a bottle for the table.
Today, Bistro Twelve Twenty serves lunch and dinner at 34 The Broadway. Mark and sous chef Iz
build their menus around locally sourced ingredients, with sharing plates, wines and cocktails served in a small, relaxed dining room.
It is the sort of place where you can settle in, order another dish and leave the evening to itself. Good cooking, a warm welcome and time to enjoy both.
More room at The Griffin
In 2019, Joe took on The Griffin. Then came Covid, and progress was slower than planned. There was plenty to do inside, with extensive renovations giving the old building a fresh start. In 2021, we opened the doors, with more room to bring people together in the Old Town.
The building had plenty of practice. A former coaching inn with Tudor origins, an arched entrance and a cobbled courtyard, The Griffin has welcomed travellers and neighbours for centuries. The Griffin Club was founded here in 1791, with members gathering over dinner.
Today, the tables are set for seasonal lunches, evening meals and Sunday roasts. There are cocktails at the bar, quiet desks in the Co-Working Club and private rooms for meetings, dinners and celebrations.
Some guests come for an hour. Others make an afternoon of it. We like to make room for both.
Joe continues to look after The Griffin with the same care that went into those first coffees on The Broadway. Remember the people. Look after the table. Give them a reason to return.
Next, Bosco at The Crown
In 2027, we plan to take on the restaurant space at The Crown Hotel in Old Amersham and begin the next chapter with Bosco.
Our plans are to give the restaurant a new setting and a character of its own, with the same attention to food and welcome that runs through Twelve Twenty and The Griffin.
There is work to do before we set the tables. We will share the plans, the food and the opening date as they take shape.
For now, we are looking forward to welcoming you through another door in the town we call home.