Putting the fun back on the plate #orboard by Steve Sanderson

I have been the chef and owner of The Chequers at Burcot for nearly 12 years since I took it over in 2006 and every day is completely different with a new adventure. Looking around my country restaurant I decided I wanted it to be like my days – different and adventurous. It’s something I have wanted to do for a number of years, and so, after weeks and months, maybe even years, of deciding what lights would look best or what colour paint to go with (let me tell you – there’s many!) The Chequers at Burcot has finally gone under refurbishment and as of Tuesday 1st August we will be reopen for 7 days a week. It felt like the end of an era when my team and I were taking down pictures and especially when it came to sanding down the beer-stained bar. I wanted the restaurant to be totally unique once the week long refurb was completed, with subtle tones of grey – or blue at one point which very nearly sent me into heart failure - throughout the restaurant and the gallery. With animal heads hanging on the walls and centuries old kitchen equipment screwed to the pillars it felt like everything was finally coming together. We have a lot more antique lights than we used to that give a subtle glow at various different heights. We also have a new outside seating area made with outside lights and speakers sitting just steps area from our life-sized cow at the front of the building.

The restaurant isn’t the only thing I wanted to change. I needed to change the menu. I know personally that when I go out to eat, sometimes I don’t want what’s paired with the steak for example. Maybe I don’t want chips, perhaps I want dauphinoise potatoes or bubble and squeak or maybe I don’t want any potatoes at all. This is why at The Chequers at Burcot we sell our steak, pies and hamburgers (and many more items) separately so that you as a customer don’t have to have exactly what is on the menu, you can be unique, you can pick what you want your dish to be served with, not what I think you should have. Most of the time, when I go out with my family we like to order lots of small dishes and share them which I love! I’ve decided to incorporate this idea into our menu so that we now have sharing platters where customers can pick a minimum of 3 specifically priced items to have on their board that are all served with relevant pickles and breads. Sometimes you don’t want to eat a full meal, maybe you just want to pick and share with family or friends, and now you can. An important part of the cuisine I serve has been influenced by the close relationship I like to have with my suppliers. Recently our butcher gave me the idea of sourcing our steaks from different locations. So we now serve Scottish Rib-eye steaks, Oxfordshire Sirloin steaks, Irish fillet steaks, Berkshire Bavette steaks and Scottish Porter House steaks that are all fed a unique diet to specifically enhance their qualities.

www.thechequersat burcot.co.uk.