One feature that makes Norwich stand out from the rest? The city’s amazing food and drink scene, of course! And thanks to fine-dining restaurant Benedicts, we can indulge in Michelin Guide-standard food right here in the City of Stories.
This year, Benedicts celebrate their 10th birthday! It’s no wonder why when you experience the exquisite food on offer, not to mention the excellent service and welcoming staff. Owned by Chef Patron Richard Bainbridge (a Norwich native himself) and his wife Katja, their passion (for hospitality, Norwich and Norfolk) is palpable- from the local produce to their mouthwatering menu to the warmth you’re greeted with as soon as you step through the door.
We spoke to Richard to celebrate this amazing milestone!
Benedicts is owned by Chef Patron Richard Bainbridge
I would say ‘never stop’! Katja and I have very high standards for ourselves, as well as for our staff, and of what we want Benedicts to be. So, we never stand still, constantly invest in our staff and strive to provide somewhere that we would want to go and eat. Without doubt, this would be the secret to our success and has been at the core of our business from day one. Knowing that we have always continued to push forward and improve on every front and not be complacent is something we can be really proud of.
As we turn 10, there will be various celebrations that will happen throughout the year so please keep an eye on our social media channels and sign up to our newsletter.
I can reveal that we will be serving a very special menu to celebrate the last ten years featuring some of our “greatest hits”, a mass giveaway and other various exciting bits and pieces that we will announce in due course – lots of surprises planned, as celebrating our independent restaurant lasting ten years is a huge milestone and no mean feat in today’s world. Stay tuned!
After deciding to take the plunge and open our own restaurant, Katja and I did start looking at locations all over Norfolk, but being a Norwich boy through and through, there was always a calling to return home and we both believed the vibrant, bohemian city of Norwich was ideal for our little restaurant.
Norwich is where we both feel at home and where we can be ourselves. In addition, we know that Norwich people embrace independence and hard work, so we were compelled to come back to a city full of culture, artists, creatives, locals and visitors alike. As the sign says, Norwich is a fine city and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
The Rice Cracker with Sherry Mousse is one to return for
We’re very lucky that Benedicts has a platform on a national level, so it’s our goal to sell Norwich as the amazing city that it is and to encourage people to visit Norwich, not just to enjoy Benedicts but all the other amazing venues and establishments all around us.
However, the common thread and reason people return to Benedicts time and time again, is for our hospitality. Our ability to allow our guests to forget the world for a couple of hours and relish each other’s company, I think is very special. We also remember our guests and form that relationship with them.
In terms of our food, there are dishes that our customers really enjoy and will return to us specifically for. Our Rice Cracker, one of the first dishes on the menu and an homage to my grandmother and grandfather who used to always have a glass of sherry as a daily sundowner, is celebrated by serving a sherry sabayon alongside a delicate rice cracker and people really love this! They also love our Parker House Bread served with varying types of butter depending on the season, which follows on and lots of our patrons like to dip this into any remaining sherry sabayon they may or may not have left! Nanny Bush’s Trifle also comes back on the menu regularly, as it is one of the dishes that put us on the map (as a BBC Great British Menu Winning Dish) in the first place.
For us, the team is at the core of our business, so we work hard in training, supporting and guiding, and ensuring our staff feel that Benedicts is just as much theirs as it is ours. This is hugely important to Katja and I. It is crucial for everyone in the team to understand what hospitality really is and I think this makes us unique compared to other restaurants.
We focus on the whole package from the moment you make your booking to when you arrive in the restaurant, from being served the canapés at the start of the meal to setting down the bill right at the end, giving back your jacket and waving you out of the door. Enabling our staff to have the tools to make each and every guest feel welcome and looked after is something we are extremely focused on, recognised by our customers and something we are very proud of.
Excellent customer service is integral to the Benedicts experience
We honestly wouldn’t have a restaurant if we didn’t have the close relationship that we do with the suppliers that we have. That covers every aspect of our business, including the contractors that we have working in the building, bespoke items that we have made specifically for us, and of course our food and unique drinks list.
To celebrate where you are from and where you call home is really important, especially being independent business owners. We understand the trials and tribulations of what that is and building those relationships with other small, independent suppliers is key. Their passion about their product is infectious and rubs off on us and onto our staff. We used Annex Antiques for our beautiful bar area with its stunning worktop that you see the moment you walk through the door.
We used to be a county of just beer production (we have a fantastic relationship with Ampersand Brew Co. and our beer is really strong and popular with our customers), but have expanded as a county into spirits as well as wine, which is very exciting. Flint Vineyard on the Norfolk/Suffolk border produces some of the most incredible wines Norfolk has to offer, and Burn Valley Vineyard in North Norfolk are making some incredible wines and we are very much enjoying the new relationship we have with them. Katy and Andrew at The English Distillery make such beautiful and pure products with a great story behind them and are also a family run business. St Giles Gin and Brancaster Drinks are also included in our Drinks List.
The importance of sourcing the best ingredients is essential. We collaborate with Lucy at West Lexham for her beautiful organic vegetables and flowers, which she grows solely for our dishes. This is an incredibly special relationship that we have had for 10 years now. Mike, Debs & Sons on Norwich Market help us source some of the best local produce, from strawberries to asparagus. They keep their finger on the pulse and let us know as soon as the finest produce comes in, so that we can offer these stunning ingredients as quickly as possible. P&S Butchers up in North Norfolk look after our game for us with fabulous produce from Holkham, or wild game such as partridge, pheasant and venison. They are so knowledgeable, and our relationship means we can get these amazing delicacies on the menu. Sharrington Strawberries is another supplier we do not take for granted and have built an unwavering friendship with them over time, in other restaurants that I have worked in before and now in my own restaurant as well as. Their fruit is used in our products in our sister company R.B Provisions too. For fish we go direct to Jonas Seafood in Cromer – specialist crab and lobster suppliers – and The North Norfolk Fish Company for some of our day boat fish.
These are just some examples, but for us, building these relationships is extremely important – they look out for us just as much as we look out for them.
You can take your own taste of Benedicts home thanks to R.B. Provisions!
Five years ago, when we started R.B Provisions, we could never have dreamed where it would be now. Katja is the driving force of this company and really keeps the cogs moving. She knows when the time is right to introduce a new product, tweak something or reach out to stockists.
Most recently we have released 3 new beautiful preserves: Gooseberry & Mint (using Norfolk gooseberries and fresh mint), Blueberry & Basil (packed with blueberries from King’s Lynn) which is just delicious, and we also make a Norfolk Hedgerow Preserve using Norfolk blackberries and apples. They join our other two preserves (Strawberry & Rose and Raspberry & Bergamot) in our range, amongst our variety of products – granola, spiced nuts, BBQ sauces, rubs, chutneys and more – many of which are accredited with Great Taste Awards.
R.B Provisions is an incredibly rewarding company we both never thought would exist. Keep your eyes peeled as we are completing the last taste tests and finalising details on our labelling and packaging for our new Chicken Rub, which is the ultimate rub for the perfect Sunday roast, BBQ’d meats and sprinkled over your roast potatoes. When we’ve trialled it with our team, they’re all in agreement that this is our best rub yet – it’s blowing our minds right now!
Visiting Benedicts for the first time? Try their Parker House Bread!
At Benedicts our menu changes every 5 – 6 weeks, so that’s quite a difficult question to answer, however some of the dishes that continue to feature, such as the Rice Cracker with Sherry Mousse, are a no-brainer. It really encompasses our storytelling, as well as having that nostalgic nudge. I also think it displays how we are innovative in the kitchen, showing modern techniques which produce something that is truly unique.
I would also list our Parker House Bread – I don’t think anyone makes such a great bread. It is baked in-house every day, literally just hours before the first customer walks through the door. I think it’s a truly indulgent bread that showcases the care and love that we put into every aspect of our menu. Our hope is that our diners put their trust in us and our experience as we pick the best local produce and prepare and present it in the most sympathetic way possible, to demonstrate what our amazing county has to offer.
Benedicts celebrate their 10th anniversary on Thursday 19th June. Open Tuesday – Saturday, you can book a table via their website. Opt for lunch (Friday & Saturday only) or dinner, where there are two menus to choose from (Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian and Gluten Free menus available) and an amazing wine list.
