OUR STORY
Max & Gavroche
Before taking the helm at The Duke of Cumberland’s Head, Max built his career in some of the most exacting corners of hospitality. A graduate of the Relais & Châteaux management programme, he trained at institutions such as Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Cliveden House, where detail and excellence weren’t optional, they were the rule.
From there, he honed his craft in luxury hotels and private chalets across Europe, leading guest services for Virgin Limited Edition and managing front-of-house operations in Verbier. Later, he led on the development of some of the largest restaurant and members’ club openings in London and across Europe.
Max founded Jack Whipp Inns Ltd with a vision: to take all that polish and experience to the pub industry. Celebrating history with The Duke of Cumberland’s Head is his flagship.
the duke himself
Prince Rupert of the Rhine.
The Duke of Cumberland’s Head takes its name from Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Nephew to Charles I, cavalier commander, scientist, occasional pirate, and a man rarely seen without his dog at his side.
Rupert was made Duke of Cumberland in 1644, and he charged into battle with his hound loyally running beside him. His reputation was fierce, but he carried a wit and eccentricity that made him unforgettable.
Local lore has him stopping near Anyho before the Battle of Edgehill, rallying his men around a great fireplace, at the inn that stood where DOCH now stands today. That spirit : bold, loyal, and a touch unruly, is what gives this pub its name.
No Riff-Raff
In 2007, Robert W. Huntington took the helm in Clifton, swapping London publishing for pub-keeping and writing his own chapter of Duke folklore in No Riff-Raff. His tenure was equal parts hospitality and havoc; music nights, scrambled eggs at odd hours, and whisky doled out on the house to make up for any shortcomings.
Reviewers of the time were torn between “different, quaint, quirky, unusual, delightful” and “the host, obviously direct from bed, seemed oblivious/uninterested.” Both rang true. Carpets were worn, fires roared, locals sang, and no one left without a story.
Tales from the Landlord’s chair
As one guest happily declared: “It was the best night I have had in a pub for a very long time.” That legacy of character, loyal dogs, roaring fires, and a refusal to take ourselves too seriously, is still what defines the Duke today.