Steve Drake drops The Anchor to focus on Sorrel
Drake has handed over ownership of The Anchor to two of his protégées: The Anchor’s current head chef Mike Wall-Palmer and Dave Adams, who both worked with Drake at his previous restaurant Drake’s, also in Ripley.
Drake bought The Anchor in 2013 with the intention of creating a great pub he’d want to eat and drink in.
The venue has achieved a number of accolades including a Michelin Bib Gourmand and is the only pub in Surrey to feature consecutively in The Good Food Guide.
“Mike has been my head chef at The Anchor for 10 years and I’m thrilled to see him transition to chef patron in the village he loves and calls home,” says Drake.
“It’s great to see Dave return to Ripley too. I’m looking forward to seeing how they evolve The Anchor in their own way and for the exciting times that lie ahead as we continue to develop our creativity at Sorrel.”
Sorrel launched in Dorking in 2017 and won a Michelin star in the 2019 Michelin Guide.
The opening followed the Roux Scholarship-winner’s departure from his then Michelin-starred restaurant Drake’s, which he handed over to his wife in a divorce settlement.
