Starting a restaurant at the very beginning of the recession was not one of our brightest ideas. Hindsight is a great predictor of how things work. During that time we have gone from strength to strength. In the first year our proudest moment was winning Best Newcomer of the Year in the Taste of Staffordshire Awards. In 2009 we were listed as a UKTV Food Hero in 2009. The crowning glory was a coveted listing in the Good Food Guide in 2010, only four places in Staffordshire made it.

It’s not been all awards and glory, there have been some real challenges from sacking dishonest staff to vandalism, theft and leaking ceilings. Each of these was dealt with and we have progressed onwards and upwards. A real inspiration for us came at the beginning of 2009 when Daniel Pilkington replaced our outgoing head chef. Dan has taken each new menu to higher standards. Through his knowledge of some great local suppliers and produce, each dish is continuously perfected. Our real key to growing during these difficult times has been in keeping an eye on quality and trying constantly, to improve on what we have done before.

Who knows what the rest of 2010 will bring, but we are looking forward to our 3rd birthday and many beyond that. A big thank you to some great locals who dine with us, supply us and work as a team with us.

We are very proud to announce that we got listed in the guide this year. The Good Food Guide is Britain’s best selling restaurant guide and all entries are based on reader feedback with anonymous inspections afterwards. In the Staffordshire section, there were four establishments from the county, so this is a very special gift from our happy guests. Many thanks to all, hopefully our relationship with the Guide will continue for some time.