The Dysart, Petersham

What does winning our fine dining award mean to you?

We were absolutely thrilled to be named as winners of the Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year Award.  My nerves were jangling throughout the ceremony and to hear our name announced was a wonderful feeling.  There are so many fantastic restaurants in the area, some of them newcomers, some of them institutions, so to come out on top this year really feels like some achievement, particularly knowing that the award is decided from readers’ votes.  Working in our industry is a full-on lifestyle, and to receive accolades like this is such a boost for the whole team.

What are the most popular dishes on your menu?

There are two dishes that stand out as our signature dishes. The first is charred bream, radish, ginger and Champagne. This dish first came to our menu around 10 years ago, following a trip that head chef Kenneth took to Tokyo with the Roux Scholarship (he won the Scholarship in 2010 and every 2 years the scholars are invited on a culinary tour in another country). So the inspiration for the dish is all Japanese – super fresh flavours that awaken the taste buds for the rest of the meal! Our other signature dish is oxtail risotto, aged rice, bone marrow, pickled chilli. It’s funny, you never know these dishes are going to be ‘signatures’ when they first arrive on the menu, but the feedback we have received about them, both when first served and over the years since, makes it impossible to take them off the menu!

Can you tell us about your ethos for local sourcing and seasonal cooking?

I’d like to think that our menu strikes the right balance between a few house favourites and a celebration of the current season. For the last few years we have been growing our own kitchen garden here, which the kitchen team have absolutely loved being involved with.  It has been known for us to go and pick vegetables to order!  We then work with another incredible grower right here in the village, as well as a number of local suppliers in the south east, including an outstanding farm called Namayasai Farm near Lewes. Biodynamic fruits and vegetables are picked in the middle of the night and then delivered here the very next morning. You can most certainly taste the difference!

How have you overcome the challenges for the industry over the last few years, and how will you tackle them going forward?

It can’t be denied that there have been numerous challenges over the last few years, most notably Brexit and Covid, and the knock on effects they had for our industry. A huge challenge for a period after reopening was staffing, with a large percentage of the workforce seemingly leaving the country during those difficult times. Our approach during those times was to make our decisions with guest experience in mind – if we were short of staff we would take fewer bookings to make sure we could still reach the standard that we set for ourselves. Happily these issues do seem to have settled down now, and we have a fantastic team who are all here to achieve and make a difference to the project.

What is the secret behind your success?

I think consistency is the most important point. No bad days allowed!  And the ability to deliver consistency comes from enjoying what you do.  We are very lucky that we are able to source and serve food and drinks of the highest quality, to guests that care about these things.  The whole team takes a great deal of pleasure from that, and we have fun whilst we work!

You’ve held a Michelin Star for the last six years. Tell us more…

Winning and retaining our Michelin Star is a matter of great pride for the whole team, in particular head chef Kenneth Culhane, who spent his whole career before joining us cooking in restaurants at that level, but for another head chef!  We await our notification of the award each year with great anticipation and a fair few nerves.

It has also been hugely significant for us in helping to get the word out about what we do here. Of course, The Dysart has changed a great deal over the years, and we still have guests coming in for the first time saying ‘I only live 10 minutes away and had no idea you were here!’  London is a hugely saturated market for hospitality, and awards like Michelin Stars and Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year make a world of difference in getting our name out there. 

How do you keep standards high?

The fact that we are a family business, focussing on just one site, is a key. No distractions, just The Dysart Petersham! Head chef Kenneth has worked with us since 2011, so he is very much part of the family now, and we all focus on this one project with great passion. We are also very particular on the size of the operation. 8 services a week, a maximum of around 30 guests per service, never turning tables during a service, guests are welcome to take as long as they like over their meal.  We want people that dine here to feel like they were the reason we came to work that day.

To thank everyone for voting, The Dysart Petersham is offering a glass of English sparkling wine to Time & Leisure readers when dining during July, August or September. Make sure you mention ‘Time & Leisure’ when booking the 3 or 4 course lunch/dinner menu and the restaurant will welcome your group with a celebratory glass of Nutbourne bubbles!