Pea Porridge, Bury St Edmunds, only restaurant in Suffolk with Michelin Star
History was made official today as Pea Porridge in Bury St Edmunds was presented a Michelin Star plaque, confirming its status as the only eatery in Suffolk with one.
The restaurant won the Star back in January, but it was not until today they were officially presented with it by a representative from the Michelin Guide.
On a day when the sun was shining bright, Justin Sharp, co-owner and chef, said he was still 'up in the clouds' with the news.
"It will seem surreal for a couple of months," he said.
"It was like almost the end of an era taking the Bib Gourmand down because we thought that was the pinnacle."
He said putting up the plaque today was a 'special moment'.
The Star has come after years of effort and grind, but also a special team bond, which James Carn, the one other chef at the restaurant, said came about from a relaxed working environment.
"It's such a chilled out kitchen," James, who has worked at the restaurant on and off for four years and who called Justin one of his closest friends, said.
"Everyone's worked here for such a long time.
"We have a laugh to be fair.
"We really don't take ourselves very seriously."
Now the restaurant has the Star, they plan to re-open on May 19 once further lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
The re-opening will bring with it a fully refurbished kitchen and new menu.
“We know that there will be more interest in the restaurant when we re-open so we have updated the kitchen to make it a more practical space, with additional storage," Justin said.
"I've also devised a new menu which keeps the much-loved Pea Porridge ethos but features Moorish influences - flavours from North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey which I love and have long wanted to emulate in my cooking."
Pea Porridge is a voluntary member of the Business Improvement District (BID) organisation Our Bury St Edmunds which provides a number of additional services to improve the trading environment of the town centre.
Mark Cordell, BID chief executive, said: "We’ve known for some time that Bury St Edmunds is the foodie capital of Suffolk but Justin, Jurga and the team have really proved that now with the town’s first ever Michelin-starred establishment and the only Star held by any restaurant in Suffolk in decades.
"I congratulate them on this fantastic achievement and look forward to their re-opening next month."
Jurga Sharp, co-owner and front of house, said bookings for the next three months were already filling up fast.
The restaurant will be open from Wednesday to Saturday for dinner and at lunchtimes from Thursday to Saturday
Read more: All the latest news from Bury St Edmunds
