Sorrel is the second restaurant venture by Chef Proprietor Steve Drake. Beginning his career at the Ritz hotel, he’s worked with a host of acclaimed chefs such as Tom Aikens and Marco Pierre White, before winning the Roux Scholarship in 2001 and a placement in France at a Michelin-starred restaurant. The Sorrel is now Drake’s second restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star.
Gratte Brothers was tasked with converting a 300-year-old, Grade II listed Surrey property which had received a modern conservatory dining area. The client wanted to reverse this arrangement and place the kitchen within the conservatory.
A bespoke induction cook suite from Cookline was specified along with a bespoke island station, Rational combination ovens, ware areas by Maidaid, and refrigeration by Foster and Adande.
A delicate project, the team had to ensure the heat did not affect the catering staff and produce in summer and customers were not served cold food in the winter. The glass was first heat-treated to regulate temperature and a heater battery was added to the replacement air unit.
This work had to be done without breaching a key design requirement; that no fixings were made to the glass. The most challenging aspect of this was how to suspend the kitchen canopy. In response, a bespoke steel framework was erected to hang the canopy, lights and services.
The quality of the installation resulted in CEDA awarding the kitchen the Grand Prix Award in its Small Projects category 2018.