New Year opening for new Castor restaurant

The Chubby Castor, currently taking shape at the Fitzwilliam Arms on Peterborough Road in the village, won’t after all be opening this month.

Diners will now have to wait until the New Year to sample what highly rated chef Adebola Adeshina will be serving at the civilised dining venue with a focus on fresh and locally sourced produce, cooked in a modern British way.

Starting from scratch in a a beautiful stone and thatch 17th century Listed Building hasn’t been easy, which is partly to blame for the 
opening being put back to January.

The charm and character of the former Fratelli’s restaurant, which has been vacant for a couple of years, will be retained but diners can expect something new and fresh when they walk through the door, said Ade, who has left behind the two AA Rosette, Michelin recommended Petersham Restaurant in Richmond to concentrate on his new venture .

“For me, it is all about paying attention to detail,” said the former Gordon Ramsay protege, who cooked some signature dishes at a meet and greet event in Stamford last week.

“If I am going to do something, I am going to do it properly. And creating the Chubby Castor there is a lot that needs doing.

“You have to get it right. There is no point just throwing a coat of paint on the walls.

“Also in a Grade 2 Listed building you can’t just knock down a wall or take down doors and partitions. Everything has to be carefully planned and carried out.”

He added: “From the outside people won’t see too much change, but anyone who has been inside down the years won’t recognise the place. It will have a whole new fresh and modern look.”

There will also be something of a transformation in the kitchen, which was an empty shell without power when Ade got the keys at the end of September.

A £120,000 investment will see it kitted out with the latest electric induction equipment, which, Ade says “Costs a bit more than gas, but will be better in the long run.”

Looking forward to his first Christmas and New Year 
off in years, Ade says he has been impressed by the reaction to what he has planned in Castor.

“People here have been really good and very supportive when i have told them what we are bringing,” he said.”

Opening times and menus will be available in December when thet www.chubbycastor.com website goes live.