Brazz becomes the Castle's sole restaurant
The Castle at Taunton is to make its brasserie operation, Brazz, the sole restaurant at the 44-bedroom hotel.
As a result, the property's former Michelin-starred dining room will close for lunch and dinner on a day-to-day basis. However, it will continue to serve breakfast and be open for high days and holidays such as Christmas, Mothering Sunday and Easter Day, as well as being used for weddings, anniversaries and other private parties.
Proprietor of the Castle, Kit Chapman, said the decision to concentrate on Brazz - to be known as Brazz @ The Castle - was a question of economics and a reflection of the demand for a more informal style of eating.
"As a small regional hotel, it makes practical, common sense to focus on one restaurant with one wine list, which will operate alongside the hotel's two bars, which both serve snack menus.
"Brazz will be developed to improve the quality of its experience, service and food."
Chapman said his son Dominic, who is head chef of the Michelin-starred Royal Oak pub in Paley Street, Berkshire, and a member of the Castle's board of directors, had convinced him to take this decision.
"Of course, I am sad to see the dining room go in its present guise, but Dom has looked at this with fresh eyes and urged us of the need to move forward."
Over the years, the dining room at the Castle has held a Michelin star under a succession of head chefs including Chris Oakes, Gary Rhodes, Phil Vickery and Richard Guest.
Guest left the hotel last year and was replaced by Jamie Raftery who will now focus on making Brazz the best brasserie and restaurant in the region.
Since his arrival, Raftery has been developing dishes to rejuvenate the menu. These include Brixham crab with pickled cucumber jelly, dry aged sirloin of beef with oxtail cottage pie, and rosewater custard tart with almond ice-cream and Sedgemoor honeycomb. The new wine list, a particular passion of Chapman, will feature around 260 bins.
Brazz @ The Castle will become the sole restaurant at the Castle from 11 April.
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Jamie Raftery takes over kitchens at the Castle >>
By Janet Harmer
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