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 Steve Drake
Chef/Patron Drakes Restaurant, Ripley, Surrey
It is a pleasure to live in Surrey with its beautiful villages and buzzing town centres. You are never far away from a place to eat - from pubs to fine dining, and ethnic to themed restaurants there is something to suit all tastes and budgets.
A common comment from our own diners is that it is nice to find great food so locally, when previously to enjoy such a wonderful meal would have meant leaving Surrey and taking a trip to London.
Surrey's traditions of good food and cooking go back a long way; the county's contributions to the world of gastronomy are distinct and timeless. The white Dorking chicken was once a major breed of poultry in the south east of England and was highly prized as an egg layer and table bird.
Watercress beds were once a common sight around the towns of Carshalton and Beddington. The name Carshalton actually means cress-stream; the cress was excellent for making watercress soup.
Although Surrey has no tradition of cheese making, at one time a soft, buttery cheese known as Guildford Cheese was made in the county, but it died out during the Second World War. Norbury Blue now represents Surrey in the cheese-making industry - an un-pasteurised rich, creamy blue cheese made from cow's milk in Mickleham, Dorking.
Surrey also has a long history of loving all things sweet. A simple yet elegant dessert of summer strawberries was popular during the Edwardian period - a favourite of society hostess Mrs Greville at Polesden Lacey. Maids of Honour from Richmond and a lovely apple pie called Sutton pie - unusual as it used porridge oats for the topping - also delighted.
To gain a better understanding of cooking, I feel it is time to look to where our food comes from, and there is no better or easier way to do this than at a local farmer's market - I am lucky enough to have one on my doorstep on the Ripley village green every month, but I know that they take place countywide throughout the year. They are great places to meet the actual farmers and producers of food, ask questions and taste produce. Another good starting point for finding good local produce in Surrey is Surrey Food Links, an organisation dedicated to promoting food and drink products that are produced in the region.
We opened Drake's Restaurant in Ripley village in January 2004. Ripley is the ideal location for us, as it is just a few miles from Guildford, Woking, Cobham and Weybridge - two minutes from the A3 and five from the M25.
Since opening Drake's restaurant my wife Serina and I have not looked back, achieving a Michelin star in 2005 as well as scoring highly in other restaurant guides. These accolades have made ours the highest rated restaurant in Surrey - a dream that we strive to maintain every day. We intend to be a highlight of the Surrey restaurant scene for many years to come.
For me cooking is a passion and what I live for. I describe my style as "artisan", simply meaning craftsman; I take the freshest ingredients and hand make everything from the bread to the petit fours.
I hope you are inspired to discover what Surrey has to offer and look forward to seeing you soon.
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