Maître Restaurateur Michael Emmanuel is the Managing Director of The French Horn, the well-known restaurant with rooms on the banks of the River Thames at Sonning. He is also the fourth generation of his family to work in hospitality. It’s a fascinating story.

Tell us about your family and hospitality
My great grandfather started it really. He had oyster beds in Whitstable, selling his daily catch to the locals. Then his son, my grandfather, joined him, while his wife ran the original Wheelers in the town. But misfortune struck when the oyster beds were poisoned by the River Thames. Young Bernard had to find a new profession. At the time, his sister was an international ballet choreographer, so - armed with a few steps from her - he found himself in the chorus of a West End musical.

Fate intervened. Falling for one of hairdresser Raymond ‘Mr Teasy-Weasy’s’ models, Bernard was told that marriage was out of the question unless he found himself a ‘proper job’! He knew about shellfish, so, he set up a stall in Old Compton Street, that quickly became the first Wheelers Oyster Bar in London.

The Second World War interrupted everything, and Bernard had an ‘interesting’ time with M16. Sadly, his wife died, leaving him with a toddler (Carole, my mother) and a baby to bring up, alongside the Wheelers business. After the war, Wheelers really took off, so as my mother grew up, she worked in the family business developing the restaurants. But she always wanted to do her own thing.

In the early ‘70s, Carole - now married to Ronnie Emmanuel and with young children of her own - bought a half share in a small but idyllic restaurant west of London beside the Thames, called The French Horn. “It was a perfect place to bring up a family,” Michael explained. “It gave us life in the country, with fresh air and a river running by - we all pitched in to help from a very early age.”

In 1984, the family sold Wheelers and took over The French Horn completely. It has been in their hands ever since - still owned by Carole and her children Michael and Elaine, who run it.

Michael’s career path
The French Horn - at age 10, serving coffee and generally helping out. On leaving school, he worked in the kitchens at Langans Brasserie in London, under Richard Shepherd.

Six months on, his father got him a placement with Paul Bocuse in Lyon as a traditional apprentice, from which he progressed to chef tournant - covering all sections when chefs were away. After three years, Michael joined Roger Vergé in his Michelin 3-star Moulin de Mougins above Cannes.

A year later, and on his way to another job in Paris, Michael took a skiing trip with his father, Ronnie, who broke his knee, so Michael returned to England to help him at The French Horn and he’s been there ever since.

Tell us about your plans for The French Horn
I believe that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Our guests might feel that nothing ever changes here, but underneath we must keep up with the times - modernise systems, increase levels of service experience, evolve the menu, while keeping our ‘classics’, and refreshing the décor. We have always been a restaurant with rooms rather than a hotel. Originally, there were three bedrooms, now there are 20. It keeps us on our toes.

Lastly, what does Chaîne membership mean to you?
For us, it is a stamp of quality. Whatever the size of the establishment, to be a member is a mark of excellence.

Abridged from an article prepared by Fiona Campbell and originally published in the August 2023 edition of Table Talk, the magazine of the Bailliage of Great Britain.

The French Horn
Sonning
READING RG4 6TN

Tel: +44 (0)118 969 2204
Web: thefrenchhorn.co.uk