Meet Head Chef Iain Ganson

We are proud to introduce Penningtons, an independent restaurant located within the Castle Hotel Windsor, bringing a fresh and ambitious dining experience to the town.

Penningtons is built on a clear and ambitious idea. Wherever it is possible, everything on the plate will be made from scratch. Our own stocks, our own pickles, our own sauces. Ingredients will be sourced locally and from across Britain, without ever compromising on quality. The menu will move with the seasons, not just changing ingredients but bringing new life to dishes people already love.

This is not about playing it safe or doing what you see everywhere else. Penningtons is being created as a restaurant people will travel to, talk about, and return to. A place that earns its position as part of Windsor’s food scene by doing things properly and doing them its own way.

At the centre of this is Iain Ganson, who joins as Head Chef.

Iain brings both experience and a very clear way of cooking. He joins from the Thames Lido, where he helped reshape the menu towards modern British food. Before that, he ran an award-winning pub with his twin brother. Their focus was simple: quality ingredients, proper cooking, and genuine hospitality. Even the ketchup was made in-house, which says a great deal about the level of care and attention he brings.

Cooking with purpose, season, and craft

The menu at Penningtons will reflect that same attention to detail and respect for ingredients.

You can expect venison sourced from the Windsor Estate and hogget from a Henley-based shepherd, prepared simply to let the quality speak for itself. Much of the butchery will be done in-house, with a nose-to-tail approach that makes full use of each ingredient while building real skill within the kitchen team.

Seasonal pies will be a feature, filled generously with carefully sourced meats and encased in traditional hot water crust pastry. Bones will be used for broths and fats rendered for lard, adding depth, richness, and a real sense of substance to the cooking.

Local cheeses will feature across the menu, with Barkham Blue in our salads and a selection of Berkshire cheeses showcased on generous boards made for sharing.

The menu will shift with the seasons in a way that feels natural rather than forced. A charred nectarine in summer might give way to a sharp, crisp apple in winter. A seasonal ice cream will always be available, led by the very best of what the season has to offer.

Familiar dishes will appear but not left alone. Melon and ham served with British cured meats and lifted with something unexpected, such as pickled chillies, bringing contrast and a little surprise to the palette.

Alongside this, you will find confidently simple dishes that rely on great ingredients and careful cooking, from an aged bone-in sirloin to British coastal fish such as gurnard, chosen for its flavour and abundance around our shores.

Beyond the menu, Penningtons has been designed as a place to settle in and properly enjoy yourself. Newly refreshed interiors, a drinks list built to match the food, and a team focused on making sure you have a great time from the moment you arrive.

We look forward to welcoming you this summer. This is a restaurant where you will feel comfortable, where everything is done with care, and where you leave full, happy and already planning your next visit. A place to share with friends and family, and to return to again and again.

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