Eggleton’s career started at his local chippie when he was 15. After becoming a Gordon Ramsay Scholar in 2003 (during which he basted in the culinary cultures of Sicily, America and France), he turned down jobs with the likes of Ramsay, Angela Hartnett and Marcus Wareing to return to Chew Magna near Bristol and transform The Pony & Trap's kitchen into what it is today.
He acquired The Pony’s freehold in 2009 and unsurprisingly - since Eggleton won Somerset’s only gastro pub Michelin star - business is better than ever. The restaurant ticks along smoothly, with Josh's sister, Holly, taking care of front of house duties.
The Pony & Trap is unique in that Eggleton likes to make sure his customers know where all his main ingredients come from. Eggleton has outlined his commitment to artisanship; bucking the trend for all things molecular by going back to making as much as he can in-house. As for the food itself, as Caterer Search observes, ‘The menu seems simple but there is a great deal of effort involved in each dish.'
Speaking to This is Bristol, Eggleton said, ‘One Michelin inspector said that to get a star even the steak and chips has to be the best steak and chips, so we use the best beef, we triple-cook the chips and we slow-roast the tomatoes.
No wonder The Michelin Guide said Eggleton ‘shows a real understanding of ingredients and flavours’. His recipes are both simple and highly playful - his Pimm's jelly recipe is served with a cucumber sorbet and scallops wrapped in bacon recipe, a dish he has titled, "scallop pops", are served on cocktail sticks.