Noted, formerly the site of Michelin-rated Da Noi, has been renovated and rebranded by Open Restaurant Group (ORG,) co-owned by chef Andrew Sheridan. It’s the latest of eight ORG restaurants, which also include 8 By Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool, OXA in Wirral and Dishes in Prestatyn.
Tell us about Noted
It’s a pretty casual place serving the type of great food you want to eat. Our menu has an incredible burger with truffle butter, a green Thai fish curry with sticky rice and a chocolate mousse with olive oil and Maldon Salt. We serve lunch and dinner to drop in to during or after a day in beautiful Chester.
How did you get started in the industry?
I grew up in North Wales and still live there, near to my restaurant Dishes in Prestatyn. It’s a beautiful part of the world. As a teenager, I started working in a local pub and quickly realised I wanted to become a chef. When I left school, I moved to Chester and worked in the bistro of ABode Hotel in Chester. I must have showed some promise because I was quickly moved to Michael Caines’ fine dining restaurant there. I worked under Stuart Collins, who’d trained with Gordon Ramsay and learned a lot under his tutelage. From there I had the confidence to move on to new restaurants and make my own mark.
What have been your proudest moments?
There’s been so many highlights, it’s hard to pick. Winning and retaining three AA Rosettes for 8 By Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool is certainly up there. Our restaurant Sow on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border has been listed in the Michelin Guide just four months after we opened. But while awards are great, what is most important is continuous customer satisfaction. Seeing people enjoy themselves, enjoy our food and hospitality is what keeps me going.
What do you like to do when you have free time?
Free time… what’s that? It’s full on at the moment with the opening of Noted and the work we’ve done there. However, if I do get some free time I love to walk down the river in Chester with the kids; it’s such a beautiful place and there’s always lots going on. If I get a night off, my partner and I love to get out in the bars round the city and maybe grab a late-night taco at the end of the evening.
What’s your favourite place to eat out?
Chester has really raised its game in the past few years so it’s hard to pick just one place. I guess it would be Death by Taco in Watergate Street, I love that place. Fresh flavours, great ingredients and who doesn’t love a taco?
What’s your best kitchen tip?
Always buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. Sounds basic but it’s much more important to spend on quality than an over-complicated dish. Prep with care and you’ll have something delicious.
Where do you like to buy your produce?
Chester and the North West are abundant with good produce. I have some fantastic suppliers for meat and fish. And nothing is like growing your own fruit and veg. At Sow, in Worcestershire, we have an incredible kitchen garden that supplies many of our restaurants; the produce we grow there is second to none and we hope to develop our resources there so we can be even more sustainable and self-sufficient.
Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party, and what would you serve?
That’s tricky. I would love to host Ricky Gervais – he really makes me laugh and says it how it is. I’d serve up a big roast chicken, family-style on a platter with all the trimmings. You really can’t beat that, can you? Dinner parties should be relaxed and fun, not stressful for the host. I think I’d rather serve something delicious and straightforward then just have a laugh with Ricky.
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Who are your food heroes?
Thomas Keller, for sure, who has The French Laundry in California, as well as loads of other restaurants. He’s managed to maintain the highest level of standards for so many years while building an impressive business.
What’s next for you?
We’ve got a lot on now with eight restaurants across the North West and Midlands so we are busy running those, getting the right teams in place and ensuring standards are always met. However, we never stop dreaming of the next move and the next restaurant. There’s plenty more to come.
Reservations for Noted can be made at sevenrooms.com/explore/noted/reservations