Steve Drake's long awaited new restaurant, Sorrel, will open this week
Originally planned to launch before summer, the fine dining restaurant's launch has been delayed by over running building work.
Drake left his eponymous restaurant in nearby Ripley last August. It has since rebranded as The Clock House Restaurant and regained its Michelin star earlier this month.
Drake held a Michelin star for 14 years at Drake's and is hoping that Sorrel will become one of the UK's best restaurants.
The 40-cover restaurant will use seasonal British produce, with a variety of menus including a three-course lunch menu and a nine-course ‘Discovery’ menu.
Drake says that dishes will be refined and simple, with the launch menu including 21-day aged raw venison with bitter orange, smoked egg yolk, anchovy and watercress.
Designed by Alexander Waterworth Interiors, the restaurant will combine the 300-year old building’s original features with a modern, open kitchen housed in a glass cube to allow guests to watch the chefs at work and inspire creativity.
Sorrel will open four days a week – Wednesday to Saturday – to allow the team to work on new flavours and techniques.
Drake told BigHospitality that the restaurant, which is named after the chef's favourite herb, will not be a replication of Drakes, although there will be similarities.
“Sorrel will be a continuation of the food I cooked at Drake’s, but I think I can make it better and more precise” he says. “Obviously there will be a few similarities, but I want to move it on”.
Drake also operates a pub across the road from The Clock Tower Restaurant called The Anchor, which opened in 2014.
