Welcome to the Vanilla Pod,

The restaurant first opened it’s doors in 2002, and has been making culinary memories for over 18 years. Owner and chef Michael Macdonald set out to create a restaurant fully owned and managed by he and his wife Steph, one where customers could enjoy exceptional food in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. To this end, the Vanilla Pod has one sitting per evening, allowing guests the chance to spend as long as they want, savouring their meals and the company of their guests, truly unwinding from the outside world.

The many culinary delights of the Vanilla Pod are masterfully created by chef and owner Michael Macdonald. Michael’s culinary history is truly spectacular, first sparked by helping his mum cook tea while she was working. After two years of culinary school, Michael’s first position was at for Herbert Berger at Keats in London. This was his first experience of a professional kitchen, and opened his eyes up to new tastes, textures and kitchen discipline. It was in London that Michael had his first taste of a Michelin star restaurant, saving up for 5 months to eat at Chez Nico, owned by Nico Ladenis. This experience was a huge influence on Michael, inspiring him to set his sights on working in similar establishments. It was not long before he joined the kitchen staff at Chez Nico itself, before moving on to Nico 90 at Park Lane. It was there that he won the prestigious William Heptinstall scholarship, giving him the opportunity to work at a variety of Michelin starred kitchens in France such as Les Jardins de l’Opera, Le Close de la Violette and Le Moulin de Mougin.

After completing his scholarship, Michael returned to England and began working in Pierre Koffman’s kitchen at La Tante Claire. Under Koffman, Michael learnt a lot, experiencing complex new flavours and gaining a deep understating of rustic French cooking. Later, he would work for Eric Crouillere-Chavot at Interlude de Chavot. Working with a chef who was so excited about what he was doing brought a sense of passion to cooking that Michael still has today.

Eventually, Michael and his wife Steph decided to settle down in Buckinghamshire, and after honing his kitchen management skills at the Complete Angler, and defining his cooking style as the executive chef at Danesfield House, he and his wife opened their own restaurant in Marlow using their own savings and resources. It has become a beloved community mainstay, visited by locals and tourists alike.

Marlow is a vibrant town with a charming high street with several independent shops and restaurants, making it a great place to own a business. The magnificent Georgian architecture creates a unique atmosphere of history and Britishness found nowhere else. The town and surrounding countryside has inspired many writers, including T.S Elliot who lived in the very building that houses the Vanilla Pod today. It was here that he would write some of his most interesting works including Gerontion, The Waste Land and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. It was also in Marlow where Mary Shelley wrote the majority of her famous novel Frankenstein after conceiving the idea in Switzerland.

Here at the Vanilla Pod we’re proud of our many partnerships with local producers which allow us to use ingredients picked that day in our dishes, delivering an unparalleled degree of taste and flavour to our customers. But this does not mean that all of our ingredients are local, we also use suppliers from all over England, Wales, Scotland, and France, ensuring all our produce are to the highest possible quality. We only use seasonal ingredients, letting us support our local communities and leaving as little carbon footprint as possible.

We’re extremely proud of what we’ve completed in our time here, and are extremely grateful for all the support we’ve received over the years. We look forward to making many more culinary memories and are excited to welcome new and previous guests alike.

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