West Sussex sparkling wine producer Wiston Estate has announced that chef Tom Kemble will be taking charge of its Chalk Restaurant.
Kemble helmed the now closed restaurant at Bonhams Auction House, earning a Michelin star within seven months of opening, and The Pass at Horsham, Sussex. Now, in the role of executive chef, he will be working alongside head chef Bradley Adams.
The 122-cover restaurant opened in December 2021 in an almost 300-year-old threshing barn. The name ‘Chalk’ was chosen as a reference to the soft white limestone that the vineyard is situated on.
In keeping with the work of the Goring family, Wiston Estate’s owners, Chalk champions local Sussex produce to complement the estate’s range of wines, which includes Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir, a Cuvée and several still wines. Additionally, wines from further afield, such as Restless River Ave Maria Chardonnay (from Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa), also feature on the list.
Dishes on the current à la carte menu, described as “seasonal and hyperlocal”, include burrata with pumpkin (grown on the estate), venison carpaccio served with walnuts, Twineham Grange cheese and mixed leaves, rack and belly of Herdwick lamb with wild garlic and hay-smoked pomme purée, and Olde Sussex rarebit.
This synergy between vineyard, winery and restaurant goes beyond pairings. Old wine barrels are repurposed for smoking salt, and spent grape skins and food waste from the kitchen being used as compost.
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