After ten years of the ultimate sausage and mash restaurant, The Big Bang Oxford will cease trading on Tuesday 1st July. It’s original location on Jericho’s Walton Street has achieved legendary status for it’s quirky menus, cool staff, great jazz events and of course the famous sausages. Max Mason managed to achieve what is rarely successful, proper grub with excellent ingredients and a damn fine place to eat it in. So much so that he won national awards for it.
Sadly, due to lack of student accommodation the Big Bang closed it’s doors in August 2010, going out with a bang. Max went quiet (as much as he can do!) for a while before returning in 2012, this time in the Oxford Castle quarter. For some reason, it didn’t work quite as well there. This is possibly due to a lack of ambience in the building, a lack of passing trade and the food just didn’t seem as good. It was still good but there was just an indefinable something missing…
Events such as live jazz, pensioner’s teas and the genius Oxford Beach kept people interested – love him or not, Max does have a talent for creating something new and different.
It’s always a shame when one of Oxford’s independents closes it’s doors for the final time, but if you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge for a new foodie venture then this could be your chance so go for it!
We at Bitten wish Max all the best for whatever weird and wonderful thing he comes up with next and we’ll savour our last bite of his sausage at his closing blow-out this weekend. Come and say goodbye to an Oxford institution – it’s time may have been short but it won’t be forgotten for a long time.
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