Chef Steve Drake sells Surrey pub the Anchor to two of his protégées

Chef Steve Drake has sold his Surrey pub the Anchor to protegees Mike Wall-Palmer and Dave Adams as he sets his focus on further developing his Michelin-starred Sorrel restaurant in Dorking.

Drake had bought the Anchor in 2013, planning to turn it into a pub he would want to eat and drink in. In the intervening years it has gained two AA Rosettes and retained the Michelin Bib Gourmand as well as featuring consecutively in the Good Food Guide.

Taking the pub forward will be current head chef Wall-Palmer and Adams, who worked with Drake at his former restaurant Drake’s, which sat across the road from the Anchor in Ripley.

The change in ownership will allow Drake to focus on Sorrel, which was recently awarded four AA Rosettes and named AA Restaurant of the Year 2018/19.

He said: “Mike has been my head chef at the Anchor for 10 years and I’m thrilled to see him transition to chef-patron in the village he loves and calls home. It’s great to see Dave return to Ripley too. I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve the Anchor in their own way and for the exciting times that lie ahead as we continue to develop our creativity at Sorrel.”

Wall-Palmer added: “This is a great opportunity for Dave and myself to build upon what Steve and I have achieved over the last few years. We’re delighted to embark on this journey as the new owners and to strengthen our reputation as one of the best places to eat in Surrey.”

Drake, who won the Roux Scholarship in 2001, previously held a Michelin star for 11 years at his eponymous restaurant in Ripley, Surrey.