Dorset’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Sienna, set to close

Sienna Restaurant in Dorchester, Dorset, will close its doors next year – leaving the county void of Michelin stars.

Russell and Eléna Brown, owners of Michelin-starred Sienna Restaurant, have announced that they will be running their last service at the restaurant on Saturday, April 25, 2015, twelve years to the day after they opened.

Russell said: “A Michelin star and three rosettes - I’m very happy to have achieved that but we’ve taken it as far as we can. We’ve achieved some amazing things here and we can’t push it any further in the site that we’ve got. The lease coming to an end seemed like the right time to move on."

He added: “I’m still here every service, and I will continue to be but I’ve been doing more and more outside of the restaurant over the past few years. So the future holds a good opportunity to build on that.

"I have a new website launching and this will encompass a new blog, my consultancy service, teaching, writing, product development, and more. This will not only draw on my experience as a Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner, but on the many areas of the industry that I have been involved in."

Sienna received its star in 2010 and has continued to impress Michelin, retaining it for five years.

Russell said: “When we first got the star we were shocked! It came as a complete surprise and a huge achievement – it changed our business dramatically and it was a brilliant thing to happen.

“We have had a fantastic run at Sienna over the years and, for me in particular, it has been an amazing journey. I have learnt a huge amount, shed some tears, made some true friends and above all I have been able to pursue a dream.”

Diners will now have to travel into neighbouring counties if they want a Michelin experience and the lack of restaurants in Dorset with stars is something that puzzles even Russell.

“There’s no reason why there aren't more Michelin-starred restaurants in this county,” said Russell. “We have some great produce in the area, and it is an odd situation I have to say. If you look at how many there are in Devon or Cornwall, for Dorset just to have the one is a bit odd really."

Russell's first job in the industry came at the age of 27, when he worked at the Alverton Manor hotel in Cornwall. He then went on to work at Percy’s Country House hotel before getting his first job as a head chef at Yalbury Cottage hotel in Dorset.

He then moved to the Horn of Plenty in Devon before opening his own restaurant in 2003 with his wife Elena.

He may be calling time on Sienna but he isn’t hanging up his chef whites just yet, he said: “I thoroughly enjoy what we do and I can’t imagine a situation where I’m not cooking in one way or another. Another restaurant is always a possibility, if there’s a backer out there it’s something I’ll always be interested in.”

He added: “Both Eléna and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years; friends, family, staff, suppliers and all our customers. We hope that our remaining time will be as busy as ever.”

Russell and Elena have done some fundraising for Hospitality Action, the industry’s main benevolent charity, over the years and wanted to do something more before their last service at Sienna, so they will be donating £5 from every bill in April to the charity.