Norwich restaurant Store at Stoke Mill to close following departure of chef Liam Nichols

Store, an intimate fine dining restaurant housed within the larger and more casual Stoke Mill, will shut its doors permanently next month with the space set to be repurposed as a private dining room.

The decision comes after head chef Liam Nichols, who has led Store since its launch in 2021, announced he would be leaving the restaurant at the end of August in order to travel around Southeast Asia with his partner Becca.

In a statement, Stoke Mill owners Andy Rudd and Ludo Iaccarino thanked Nichols for his service, noting how he took the restaurant from being a place that ‘served fish and chips during the Covid-19 lockdown to achieving a Michelin star in 2023’.

They said: “We are grateful to the team who have worked with passion and enthusiasm to make Store the success it has been, and we wish Liam and Becca all the best as they leave Store and enjoy exploring Asia together.

“So, as they move on, so does the Stoke Mill story. The beautiful dining room that has been home to Store will now reopen as a private dining room, a perfect venue for friends and families to come together and celebrate, whatever the occasion. A warm, relaxed and fun welcome awaits anyone who chooses to dine with us.”

The new space will be headed up by Store sous chef Hazel Yuill in partnership with Rudd and Iaccarino.