Oak at the Saracen's Head bringing a new flavour to restaurant full of history in Southwell

A new restaurant is putting down its roots in a historic venue.

Oak at Saracen’s Head is set to open its doors to the public for the first time this Saturday ­— championing seasonal flavours and ingredients sourced from nearby producers.

Chef Simon Thornewill is bringing 17 years of experience in professional kitchens to the historic venue as he takes the reigns of the evening dinner service.

A second chef will head up lunch and breakfast service, with the latter set to open to the public in the next fortnight.

The franchise, led by David Newby and Josh Perry, is taking over the bar, kitchen, restaurant and function room of the hotel.

Simon said: “It is the full works, and further down the line we are looking to do tapas and bar snacks as well as themed nights ­— like steak nights, tapas, grill nights etcetera.”

Oak’s menu is a combination of classic dishes, including steak, fish and chips and a Sunday roast, as well as less common offerings.

“We will have a couple of things you don’t see anywhere else, we want to stand out from the crowd,” Simon added.

“Lunch will be a bistro style, while the evening will be more of a fine dining, silver service experience.

“We are looking for all of our suppliers to be local, the fish is as local as possible, the meat is all from the Nottinghamshire area and the fruit and veg are from Maxey’s. They grow a lot themselves and are based in Kirklington.

“Foraging as well, and keeping the menu seasonal. It includes ingredients you might not see anywhere else, at the moment there is gorse and wild garlic on the menu. We are trying to bring something a bit different.”

Oak will serve food Wednesday to Sunday on a booking-only basis in the King Charles dining room and outside in the summer. Bookings can be made on 01636 812701.