Michelin-starred chefs Merlin Labron-Johnson and Kanji Kobayashi to host two nights of collaborative dinners at Osip

Chef Merlin Labron-Johnson of Osip, in Somerset, will collaborate with Japanese chef Kanji Kobayashi of Villa Aida for a two-night event on 8^th and 9^th December. The dinners, held at Labron-Johnson’s Bruton restaurant, mark the final edition of the year-long series, Osip Collaborates: Japan, and will be Kobayashi’s first time cooking in the UK. The collaboration aims to explore shared culinary philosophies between the two chefs, with a focus on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

Labron-Johnson and Kobayashi are both commited to sustainability and using hyperlocal produce for their cooking. Kobayashi, along with his wife Yumi, operates Villa Aida in Wakayama, western Japan. The restaurant has received two Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star for its environmentally conscious approach, which Kobayashi describes as “garden gastronomy”. Their menu, served to only six guests per day, is primarily plant-based and features ingredients grown on land surrounding the restaurant, including over 300 varieties of vegetables.

The upcoming collaboration will be the first time the chefs cook together, with an offering developed jointly and shaped by the ingredients available on the day – foraged or supplied by Osip’s local producers. The dinners are designed to reflect “the harmony between land, produce and cooking”, priced at £195 per person, with optional drinks pairings available. 

The Osip Collaborates: Japan series highlights Japanese culinary artistry, and has previously featured chefs Tetsuro Maeda of Txispa in the Basque Country, Endo Kazutoshi of Endo at the Rotunda in London and Atsushi Tanaka of AT in Paris.

Food Desk

Kanji Kobayashi and Merlin Labron-Johnson’s collaborative dinners take place on 8^th and 9^th December 2025 at Osip, 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton BA10 0LN. For further information or to book tickets, visit here.