His eponymous restaurant remains Nottingham’s only Michelin-starred restaurant and with a number four spot in the Good Food Guide 2018, Sat Bains is still one of Britain’s most revered chefs known for his cutting edge methods and championing of local produce.
Set within in an industrial estate just off the A52 you will need to drive under a flyover and pylons before reaching the multi award winning Restaurant Sat Bains. As first impressions go you could quite easily mistake it for just another run-of-the-mill motorway service station rather than a two Michelin starred restaurant. But the acclaimed chef hasn’t let the unassuming location deter him from delivering the best gastronomic experience the city has ever known.
Mallard shot by Sat,
parsnip, pear, blue cheese, minus 8 vinegar
“I think we are very much dictated by what we do because of the location," says Sat. “I think if we went somewhere else it would be very different.”
The restaurant itself situated on Lenton Lane, Nottingham was named Hotel des Clos before Sat was appointed head chef and made partner in 2002 when he renamed it, Restaurant Sat Bains. A year later the restaurant would earn its first Michelin star, a first for the city of Nottingham.
After achieving the accolade Sat’s profile went through the roof with critics and peers alike praising the chef for his avant garde tasting menu. In 2011 the restaurant earned its second star in the prestigious guide making the restaurant a true destination for food lovers who travel from all parts of the globe to taste Sat’s incredible food.
As we near 2018 Sat’s ethos for Nottingham’s only two Michelin starred restaurant remains the same as it did 15 years ago, ‘to give incredible food that’s in season and that’s been sourced with great artisans and suppliers’.
Today the Derby born chef runs the restaurant with his wife Amanda and head chef John Freeman manning the kitchen. Over the years the restaurant has undergone several extensions and developments which include an urban kitchen garden and a self-contained, six seat dining area called Nucleous.
Speaking of the development kitchen Sat said: “I think back to when we introduced the development kitchen, it was something I saw at El Bulli and Heston was doing it too so I just thought what a great idea that you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the small kitchen and just kind of play around.”
In terms of food, Sat’s philosophy very much revolves around celebrating the best in local produce choosing to use nearby estates and local farmers for his ingredients.
“We’re the middle people and the customer is the end user so we have to have respect throughout the chain," Sat explains. “We have to treat it with respect and the customer is the benefactor.”
The last five to six years has also seen Sat incorporate game into the menu following a shoot he was on with the other Michelin starred chefs and close mates, Tom Kerridge and Claude Bosi.
Now with two Michelin stars, a spot in the Good Food Guide 2018, 5 Rosettes from the AA Restaurant Guide, the list goes on, the former Roux Scholar (he pipped Gordon Ramsay’s head chef from Aubergine to the post in 1999) says he feels the restaurant has really evolved over the years and the small team of 38 have grown as a family.
“I think we’ve really pushed forward with our identity," he explains. “We’re trying to make food which is unique and exciting. As you get older you just get more mature and settled into your identity.”
With 30 odd years in the industry already under his belt, Sat says he is still looking towards the future and is ‘still attacking’ and ‘still hungry’ - looking to better himself and his restaurant.
“I’m still looking for advancement of flavour, I’m still looking to eat something that’s going to blow people away or that makes me say 'I can’t wait for you to try this'.”
And with global domination on his mind (Sat would one day like to own one of the best restaurants in the world) we have no doubt the chef will not be resting on his laurels anytime soon.
“We’re trying to make food that is unique and exciting and we’re trying to build this into a world class operation.”
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In terms of food, Sat’s philosophy very much revolves around celebrating the best in local produce choosing to use nearby estates and local farmers for his ingredients.
