Chef Thomas Straker set to launch first solo restaurant

Acre will serve seasonal, Mediterranean-inspired food, with ingredients sourced from sustainable British producers.

While details remain thin, the concept is understood to be inspired by Straker's experiences growing up on a smallholding in Herefordshire.

Straker, who is also a regular contributor to online recipe platform MOB Kitchen, has recently launched a ticketed, takeaway pop up at Carousel in Marylebone as a precursor to the opening of Acre.

Called Right Then - the line with which Straker opens all his Instagram recipe videos - the pop up is borne of of the chef's affection for 'uncomplicated, indulgent dishes'.

The pop up serves a different menu each week, limited to 500 tickets.

Dishes have so far included pici cacio e pepe; fried plaice milk bun with hispi cabbage and smoked sriracha; and sourdough pizzas topped with nduja and wild garlic.

Straker's training saw him stage at Brett Graham's two Michelin-starred The Ledbury in Notting Hill, before joining the brigade at Dinner by Heston at the Mandarin Oriental, Knightsbridge.

In 2015, South American restaurateur Juan Santa Cruz appointed Straker head chef of his newly-opened London restaurant Casa Cruz.

The chef subsequently took the concept to the US with the opening of Casa Casa in New York, and was then appointed group head chef of Santa Cruz Co.

Straker left to work with Phil Howard at Elystan Street in 2017, before leaving a year later to begin developing the concept for Acre.