London-trained chef returns to roots to open The Corner House restaurant
Matt Sworder, 28, opened The Corner House restaurant with rooms in Minster earlier this month – the 50-cover venue was formally known as Morton’s Fork, owned by Matt’s father, David.
“Being a family run operation is a big part of what we do,” Matt Sworder told BigHospitality. “We’ve already managed to pick up a lot of customers that knew dad back when he was running Morton’s Fork in the late 80s and 90s.”
David Sworder, who also owns and operates the nearby Durlock Lodge B&B, is running the front-of-house, with Matt overseeing the kitchen. Over £15,000 was spent on the refurbishment of the site, with the two upstairs bedrooms renovated.
On the menu
With Matt’s cheffing career including time at Gordon Ramsay’s La Noisette and Anthony Demetre’s Les Deux Salons, The Corner House serves London-inspired modern British dishes with a regularly-changing menu focusing on seasonal, local produce. All dishes are made from scratch including pasta, bread and ice creams.
The summer menu includes starters of oxtail ravioli and mixed salad, local asparagus and hollandaise and Kentish mussels; mains such as rabbit, ham and tarragon cottage pie and loin of cod with new potatoes; and gooseberry and elderflower fool as one of the desserts.
Sharing option are also available, such as The Corner House roast chicken (for two) and whole shoulder of lamb with dauphinoise potato and spring greens (for four).
“Snacks and sharing dishes are what The Corner House are all about - simple British food done well,” added Matt.
Bib Gourmand
While admitting that ‘it’s more important to have a good business model than to just go for awards’, the chef hopes that the new restaurant will eventually achieve a Michelin Bib Gourmand (which denotes good cuisine at a reasonable price in a variety of comfort categories).
“Our overall aim is to achieve a Bib Gourmand in February next year,” he added. “We’re no Michelin-starred restaurant but I would like the food quality to be of Bib Gourmand-standard. Most importantly, we want to have a sustainable business.”
The Corner House is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the refurbished double and twin rooms costing £75 a night, including a continental breakfast.
The Corner House has opened at 42 Station Road, Minster.
