Sudbury House revises restaurant offerings

Sudbury House's three-AA-rosette Restaurant 56 is now focused on afternoon teas, special events and private functions, with the more informal Magnolia restaurant now the main restaurant at the hotel.

The fine dining Restaurant 56 had been overseen by its executive chef Andrew Scott since 2014 at the four-AA-silver-star, 50-bedroom hotel in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. He left his role late last year to take up a position as development chef at Miele GB.

Restaurant 56 and the more informal, 100-cover Magnolia restaurant are both overseen by head chef Nick Bennett (pictured left with hotel general manager Ronan Hunter), and Bennett has launched a new menu at Magnolia focused on modern British cuisine with "classical roots".

New dishes will include a Cornish crab and fennel cocktail with caraway crackers and mango salsa; Kelmscott pork fillet with braised cocoa beans, chorizo and parsley; and a passion fruit and coconut ‘neat Eton'.

More classically inspired dishes will include a Caesar salad to garnish a roast Cotswold chicken terrine, and pizzas will also feature on the menu.

Bennett said: "I'm really excited to be able to offer guests food which they all know and love, with a bit of a difference. For me, a dining experience is all about making sure guests are comfortable and relaxed."

Hunter added: "As a progressive business, we don't believe in standing still, so we wanted to develop a food offering which reflects modern restaurant trends. Many of our regulars will know that Nick is a very talented chef and we are thrilled about the exciting additions to the menu, and the flexibility it will present to our guests."

Andrew Scott to leave Sudbury House's Restaurant 56 >>

Menuwatch: Restaurant 56 >>

Nick Bennett appointed head chef of Restaurant 56 >>