It’s pretty unassuming from the outside, but step inside Sosh Club on Frogmoor and you’ll be instantly blown away by the sheer decadence that awaits you.
Think chandeliers, marble-effect tables, deep red velvets, gilt furniture and animal print galore. It is luxury like Wycombe hasn’t experienced before.
At a time where our town centres are struggling to coax people back after a tough year and a half, Sosh Club is here to offer something completely unique.
The club has an elaborate back story, centred entirely round the life of aristocrat Sir Henry Soshingdon, an eccentric character born in 1877 who loves nothing more than partying around the world, collecting beautiful artefacts and incredible stories.
Frustrated with stuffy gentlemen clubs, Sir Henry decided to offer something that was much more up his street. And so Sosh Club was born.
Of course, Sosh Club is really the brainchild of local businessman Chris Miller. Many will know Chris from the incredibly popular Air Raid Shelter Café in the Chilterns Shopping Centre.
At a time where many businesses were shutting down during the pandemic, the ever-entrepreneurial Chris decided to take on a massive challenge in the form of the old Bell pub on Frogmoor.
The beautiful Grade II listed pub had been sadly abandoned, but Chris had big ideas that would completely overhaul it and provide a luxurious experience for those looking for something a little different.
Through Chris, Sir Henry is certainly here to make his mark on High Wycombe in the most extravagant way possible.
Chris invited the Bucks Free Press down to take a look at what the team, which includes chef Mark and general manager Aleysha, has achieved so far. Sosh Club threw open its doors back in July and has enjoyed huge success so far, but it’s time more people knew about this town centre gem.
High Wycombe is crying out for more bottomless brunch options and good afternoon tea. Sosh Club provides both (with a decadent twist), as well as 70s, 80s and 90s weekend club nights and an impressive range of cocktails.
My partner Stephen and I visited on a Sunday afternoon to sample the Sosh Club afternoon tea. We’ve tried dozens of afternoon teas before, both in Buckinghamshire and in London, but the Sosh Club experience is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
We were led through the bar, past the glittering private booths and the “servants’ quarter”, complete with a shot bar, straight to the garden room. It was once The Bell’s rather bland courtyard, but it has been transformed into a plush but chilled covered hang-out that has a Moroccan vibe about it.
We settled down onto one of the many comfy deep red leather sofas and waited for our afternoon tea to arrive. It is £50 for two people to enjoy but you certainly get your money’s worth.
Out came the prosecco, followed by the tea itself. There are plenty of options to choose from, including chamomile, green tea and Earl Grey, but we opted for a traditional ‘everyday brew’ by Teapigs.
It took two of the friendly staff members to bring out the food – a golden platter of prawn cocktail, onion bhajis, assorted sandwiches and filled Yorkshire puddings, and a mouth-watering selection of sweet treats and warm scones for afters, presented on an elaborate gilt stand. Chef Mark proudly guided us through everything he had concocted for us.
The sandwiches were a feast for the tastebuds – feta and roasted Mediterranean vegetables, gin and lemon Cheshire cheese with a gorgeous onion chutney and the classic smoked salmon and cucumber with lemon and dill crème fraiche.
But the one that intrigued us the most was the exotic steak with harissa mayonnaise and rocket. The exotic meat on offer that day was ostrich and it also featured in the filled Yorkshire pudding with a fiery dollop of horseradish.
It’s not something you come across every day, but Sosh Club prides itself on being quirky and different, so of course, your run-of-the-mill beef and chicken just won’t do!
Other exotic meats on offer include zebra and kangaroo. We were certainly impressed with the subtle taste and the soft texture of the ostrich, paired with the zingy harissa mayo and the peppery rocket.
Sandwiches well and truly polished off, we started on the beautifully presented prawn and salmon cocktail with plump prawns and the delightful and delicately spiced ‘bhajee tidbits’ (cauliflower, broccoli and onion) topped with a sweet mango chutney.
The scones (we chose one fruit and one plain) were still warm when we got round to those and the clotted cream (which of course has to go on first!) melted gently on top. We had two delicious jams to try – a runny strawberry and champagne and a thick raspberry and prosecco. Pure decadence right down to the tiniest of details.
Stephen then jumped delved straight into the variety of chewy macarons that had a tasty crisp outside. He’s a huge fan and these certainly met with his approval.
Meanwhile, I tucked into the fudgy homemade brownie bites, complete with a delicious drizzle of white chocolate and topped with a raspberry.
The Sosh Club take on the classic Victoria Sponge was incredibly light and looked extra appealing with its pink colour and cream and strawberry topping. We finished off with some bite-sized profiteroles and we were almost fit to burst.
We were so impressed with the whole Sosh Club experience, and we weren’t the only ones. “Is this your first time here? It’s brilliant, isn’t it?” another first-time patron at a neighbouring table said to us. We heartily agreed. They were sampling the ‘Safari Platter’ (£21.95) complete with sliced wild meat steaks and Mediterranean vegetables and were keen to return and try the afternoon tea out too.
Like them, we’ll certainly be back for more. The afternoon tea at Sosh Club is perfect if you’re looking to show off what High Wycombe has to offer to guests but the small plates and sharers menu is also well worth a look, as is the bottomless brunch. There’s a great range of cocktails to sample, including five extra special ones named after the main characters in the Soshingdon back-story, and gin from Penn Street’s Griffiths Brothers.
It’s hard to put into words how much of a breath of fresh air Sosh Club is for High Wycombe. With the continual rise of online shopping, our high streets are evolving and getting people back into the town centre will only be successful if more restaurants, bars and retailers start offering an “experience” to really tempt people.
Sosh Club does exactly that. It’s an independent that really deserves huge support from locals. Before Christmas, the team are hoping their five sumptuous hotel rooms that will continue the decadent theme will be ready to attract those who aren’t local too.
Saturdays from 11am to 5pm is bottomless brunch and Sundays are for afternoon tea from 11am until late. For bookings and general enquiries, email info@soshclub.co.uk. You can also find Sosh Club on Facebook and Instagram.
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