A chef has come full circle after opening a restaurant in a historic mill in the village where his career first began.
Store opened on Thursday, May 20 in Stoke Holy Cross' Stoke Mill, which is also home to the Stoke Mill Contemporary Fine Dining restaurant.
Chef Liam Nichols initially opened its doors in December, when it had a brief spell of welcoming mainly friends and family before Tier 4 restrictions introduced on Boxing Day forced it to close.
But after its first day open last week, the team at the restaurant, which is named after the store room of the old mill, are now serving customers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
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It has taken the 29-year-old back to his roots, with his career having started at The Wildebeest, which is also in Stoke Holy Cross.
The former Hethersett pupil has worked in kitchens in Norfolk, Melbourne, New York, London and the Caribbean, and said coronavirus had sparked the idea, which he had taken to Stoke Mill Contemporary Fine Dining co-owners Andy Rudd and Ludo Iaccarino.
"It came about when I returned home from travelling last April," he said. "I was back in Norfolk and living with my parents, and I used to work with Andy back in the day, so I reached out to him to do some takeaways at the Mill.
"In the back of my mind I was thinking I was going to get a job back in London when I could, but me and Andy discussed turning what had been the private dining room into its own separate venture."
Store is a tasting menu restaurant, with customers invited to arrive at the same time - 7pm - when, over the course of the evening, they will be served anywhere between seven and 10 courses, with everything cooked in front of diners.
The menu costs £75 per person, and £45 for the wine pairings, and, while dishes change, has included options such as barbecue celeriac, tagliatelle with wild garlic and stone bass with cauliflower and Thai green sauce.
Mr Nichols said he had been pleasantly surprised by the welcome.
"It's been really, really good feedback, beyond positive, which is amazing to hear," he said.
Local artist Beverley Gene Coraldean has created a mural in the kitchen which includes some well-known Norfolk sights and faces, including the Castle, Cathedral, Delia Smith and Alan Partridge.
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