Steve Drake
Aged 17, Steve left home in Essex for London to become an apprentice at The Ritz. Thereafter he worked in some of the best kitchens in the country for Chefs such as Marco Pierre White and Nico Ladenis.
Age 28, Steve won the Roux Scholarship – widely considered the most prestigious, and technically challenging, cooking competition in the UK – and shortly after he gained a Michelin Star in his first position as Head Chef at Drake’s on the Pond in Surrey.
Sorrel is the third restaurant to have earned Steve a Michelin Star. Opened in 2017, it won the AA Restaurant of the Year Award the following year. Sorrel has also been shortlisted for GQ Restaurant of the Year, long-listed for the World Restaurant Awards and received its fourth AA Rosette recognising it as ‘among the top restaurants in the UK, where the cooking demands national recognition’.
Sorrel also features in ‘50 Best Discovery’ following its nominations in ‘World’s 50 Best’, one of the most prestigious global, expert-recommended guides to restaurants.
“Steve Drake’s restaurant Sorrel in Dorking (a market town with chocolate-box charm) is currently the county’s hottest restaurant with the most exciting ‘discovery’ menu”
CondeNast Traveller January 2021
“Don’t be fooled by the simple descriptions as these belie the complexity of the techniques used in his creative modern dishes, where flavours, textures and temperatures come together in perfect harmony.”
Michelin Guide 2021
Steve immediately understood our ‘mise en place’ meets ‘marginal gains’ philosophy. Sorrel is conveniently nestled between Leith Hill and Box Hill, the perfect spot for London and Surrey’s cyclo-foodies, and the obvious choice for our Surrey Joyride in May with Joanna Rowsell and Adam Blythe.
“In the kitchen, we aim to constantly develop our ideas, inspired by the best produce on offer.” - Steve Drake
