Alfresco restaurant to open at the Chubby Castor

Chef Adebola Adeshina is to open alfresco restaurant the Yard at his fine dining venue the Chubby Castor in Cambridgeshire this month.

Situated in the village of Castor, the 50-seater venue, located behind the Grade II listed Chubby Castor building, will offer a more relaxed alternative to the fine dining restaurant.

It will use seasonal produce and vegetables grown in raised beds beside the restaurant’s terrace – including edible flowers and runner beans – by a team of local gardeners.

The menu will include gourmet burgers, spatchcock chicken, fresh lobster, fish and oysters and steaks, as well as vegan and vegetarian options. The space will have areas covered by a roof and patio heaters.

Adeshina said: “My love of nature and being outdoors has grown since opening the Chubby Castor four years ago. I first started growing a small amount of produce myself, in the garden behind the restaurant shortly after opening, which increased my passion for growing my own ingredients, which is every chef’s dream.

“At the Yard, 70% of our vegetables and herbs will be homegrown and we use local suppliers where possible, which means that produce we use is seasonal and has low mileage.”

He added: “Sustainability is at the heart of our approach to modern British cooking. We care about the provenance, sourcing and ethics of the ingredients we use and we believe that food that has been raised correctly, grown responsibly and sourced locally, wherever possible, heightens the enjoyment of our guests and the planet as a whole.”

The Chubby Castor is part of the Milton Estate. Adeshina opened the Chubby Castor, his first solo venture, in 2017, having previously been head chef at the two-AA-rosette Petersham hotel restaurant in Richmond, Surrey, and chef-patron of Parsons restaurant in Waltham Abbey in Essex.

He also ran the Lock restaurant in London Tottenham for five years with Fabrizio Russo and worked at Gordon Ramsay's Aubergine.