Steve Drake sells The Anchor pub to focus on Sorrel

Steve Drake

Steve Drake

Executive Chef 1st October 2019
Steve Drake

Steve Drake

Executive Chef

Steve Drake sells The Anchor pub to focus on Sorrel

Michelin-starred chef patron Steve Drake has sold his award-winning Surrey pub The Anchor in Ripley to focus on developing the creativity of the cooking and the dining experience at his AA Restaurant of the Year 18/19 Sorrel in Dorking, which has recently been awarded 4 AA Rosettes.

Steve has handed over ownership of The Anchor to two of his former protégées: The Anchor’s current head chef Mike Wall-Palmer and Dave Adams who, along with Mike, worked for Steve at his previous restaurant Drake’s, also in Ripley.

Steve bought The Anchor in 2013 with the intention of creating a great pub he’d want to eat and drink in. In recent years, The Anchor has received rave reviews, numerous awards, 2 AA Rosettes and retained the highly coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand. It is also the only pub in Surrey to feature consecutively in the Good Food Guide.

Steve is proud to see two of his previous chefs create their own restaurant together, he says: “Mike has been my head chef at The Anchor for 10 years and I’m thrilled to see him transition to chef patron in the village he loves and calls home. It’s great to see Dave return to Ripley too. I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve The Anchor in their own way and for the exciting times that lie ahead as we continue to develop our creativity at Sorrel.”

Mike Wall-Palmer adds: “This is a great opportunity for Dave and myself to build upon what Steve and I have achieved over the last few years. We’re delighted to embark on this journey as the new owners and to strengthen our reputation as one of the best places to eat in Surrey.”

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall  – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.