Justin Sharp is the chef and owner of Pea Porridge in Bury St Edmunds.
Justin and his wife Jurga opened the restaurant in 2009 and it immediately found its place in the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand, which it held for ten years before being awarded a star in the 2021 guide for the UK and Ireland.
biography
Like many chefs before him, it took Justin a while to come to terms with the fact that he would never make a living as a professional footballer.
And so, whilst still at school, the young chef sought some work experience at The Waterside Inn in Peterhead, Scotland.
The chef counts his lucky stars that his parents were supportive of his work, driving him straight there from school on a Friday and picking him up in the late afternoon on Sundays, allowing him to fully immerse himself in what would be the most formative years of his career.
He then moved to London, where he met his wife Jurga, and continued to work for 6-7 years before moving to Hertfordshire, and then eventually to Bury St Edmunds to open their own restaurant.
Pea Porridge
The couple opened Pea Porridge in October 2009. The neighbourhood restaurant is located on 'Pea Porridge Green Square,' which gave its name to the restaurant even though the green is long gone.
Situated in the historic market town of Bury St Edmunds, the site was originally made up of two cottages built in 1820, which later became a bakery before being converted into the restaurant it is today. Its three dining rooms feature rustic tables, exposed brick work and and an original baker's - or Bertha's - oven.
Michelin describes the building as having "a homely, slightly bohemian vibe, with wooden furnishings and interesting artwork hung on exposed brick walls."
The food at Pea Porridge is highly produce-driven, and Justin is a particularly scrupulous practitionner of the nose-to-tail ethos, as well as sourcing ingredients as locally and seasonally as possible.
The wine menu is made up of rare, predominantly natural and biodynamc wines, sourced from a handful of suppliers who only work with small-scale producers.
Justin Sharp and his food style
The majority of the food at Pea Porridge is cooked in the Bertha oven, adding to the inherent smokiness of the Middle Eastern, Moorish-inspired food that is cooked here. Using different mediums such as charcoal, beech, oak, birch or pine cones, the chef creates an array of dishes drawing influence from Persian, Levantine, Morroccan and Middle Eastern cultures, all the while demonstrating classical skills and techniques.
Among the restaurant's specialities, Michelin singles out the following:
- Berber black pudding stuffed squid with samphire and romesco
- Cabrito goat tagine with couscous, pumpkin, okra, baba ghanoush and yoghurt
- Dark chocolate and tahini pudding with pistachio and praline parfait
