Sat Bains

28 September 2009 by
Sat Bains

Sat Bains is the chef-proprietor of Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms on the outskirts of Nottingham, which won the city's first Michelin star in 2003.

Housed in a converted Victorian farmhouse, the 32-seat restaurant also holds four AA rosettes while the accommodation has a three-red-star rating from the AA.

And in 2009, Bains was awarded the highest accolade from the AA, five rosettes, which indicate a restaurant that "stands comparison with the best in the world".

Restaurant Sat Bains is renowned for its trademark tasting menus that include a degustation menu offering diners a taste of 12 different courses.

Sat Bains
Education: City & Guilds, Derby Current interestsRestaurant Sat Bains >>

Bains, who was born to a Sikh family from the Punjab, was born in Normanton, Derby, where he completed his City and Guilds qualification.

He got his first break after moving to Nottingham as head chef of Jesse's restaurant.

Sat Bains was chef de partie with the team that opened Raymond Blanc's first Le Petit Blanc brasserie, in Oxford, in 1996. He then spent three months at London's Michelin-starred L'Escargot restaurant before returning to Nottingham in 1997 as head chef of the Martins Arms in Colston Bassett.

Roux Scholarship competition, winning through its early rounds and eventually carrying off the 1999 title at his very first attempt. By this time, however, he was unemployed as the Ashbourne Gallery had been forced to close.

However, Bains' success in the scholarship won him the chance to work at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Jardin des Sens in Montpelier France - and resulted in the invitation to become head chef at Nottingham's Hotel des Clos (the forerunner to his current enterprise).

The hotel restaurant was relaunched in November 2002 under Bains' own name and scooped a Michelin star the following year. However, 2003 ended with the hotel being put on the market for £1.1m.

Undaunted by the sale of the hotel in September 2004, Bains bought a 15-year lease on the restaurant, which he planned to reopen as a separate business by the end of the year after a £250,000 refurbishment.

However, when, in the spring of 2005, the chance to buy a 15-year-lease on the hotel as well Bains and his wife, Amanda, jumped at it and the restaurant became the current Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms. Their boldness was vindicated with the award of four AA rosettes in 2006 followed by the AA Best English Restaurant Award for 2006-2007.

Bains is one of just a handful of British chefs to have made the pilgrimage to the celebrated, three-Michelin-star El Bulli restaurant in Cala Montjoi, Spain.

He also won the opportunity to cook a starter of poached egg with air-dried ham and pea sorbet for the ambassador' banquet in the BBC's Great British Menu that was televised in spring 2007.

Awards

  • 1999 - Roux Scholarship
  • 2003 - Michelin star first awarded, Catey Menu of the Year
  • 2006 - Four AA rosettes and AA English Restaurant of the Year
  • 2007 - 7/10 in the Which? Good Food Guide - the highest rated in Nottingham, BMW Square Meal - Best UK Restaurant of the Year, Winner on the BBC Great British Menu
  • 2008 - - Observer Food Monthly Best Restaurant
  • 2009 - Winner of Champagne Jacquart Rising Stars Trophy and the year's sole recipient of five AA Rosettes

Sat Bains articles on Caterersearch

Restaurant Sat Bains sole new winner of five AA rosettes

Sat Bains as inventive as Heston Blumenthal, says critic

Sat Bains to reopen Hotel des Clos as restaurant with rooms
Sat Bains to buy his restaurant at Hotel des Clos
Bains slams catering college ‘dinosaurs'

Dég for victory

Clos Encounters on CatererSearch >>

Sat Bains recipes on CatererSearch

Cèpes, by Sat Bains >>

Beetroot Carpaccio - by Sat Bains >>

Frozen Fennel Shavings - by Sat Bains >>

Sat Bains on the Web

Restaurant Sat Bains on The British Larder

BBC Sat Bains biography >>

Sat Bains on The Roux Scholarship >>

Sat Bains Great British Menu 2007 - the finals >>

Sat Bains Great British Menu 2007 - the results >>

Restaurant Sat Bains on the Web

Restaurant Sat Bains >>

Michelin restaurant entry >>

AA restaurant entry >>

AA hotel entry >>
The Guardian's Matthew Norman reviews Sat Bains in Nottingham (2007) >>

Restaurant Sat Bains on Toptable >>
Restaurant Sat Bains on Squaremeal >>

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