Food review: Brilliant food in idyllic setting at The Bracebridge, Sutton Park

Which was funny, because he was also in the kitchen of The Bracebridge, a delightfully refurbished, fabulously glamorous restaurant in Royal Sutton Coldfield. Funny that.

Perhaps the guy in the kitchen was an apparition, though, judging by the quality of our food, he couldn’t have been. So maybe they film these TV shows months in advance, keep the results a secret, and then let us all imagine there’s audiovisual magic, as well as that of the culinary kind.

Either way, the chef who made his name at 8, in Birmingham, was very definitely present and correct. No AI. No hologram. Just a hard-working chef, sleeves rolled up, cooking at the refurbished Bracebridge, a restaurant that has been much loved over the years.

So, to the history part. The Bracebridge has long been part of the region’s rich, culinary history. Located in an idyllic lakeside spot, in Sutton Park, it’s the sort of space that looks as though it’s from picture perfect Cornwall, or the Lake District.

With an outdoor eating area for use in spring and summer, with a snack bar for pizzas, cakes, cookies, and coffee, called Sip and Slice, it serves as a pitstop for walkers and locals, as well as a slightly-posh-but-not-at-all-formal place for dining.

It’s the sort of place that people will eat at semi-regularly, rather than one where they’ll save and visit once a year, for a special occasion.

It’s not gunning for the sort of lofty accolades that some of Sheridan’s other restaurants seek. – though a Michelin Bib Gourmand might not be entirely out of the question. The pub closed unexpectedly at the end of last year and was rescued quickly by a consortium of local businesspeople, along with Sheridan and his business partners, Sam and Emma Morgan. With the collective knowledge, experience, and investment to breathe new life into it, it was relaunched a week or two ago – with bookings going through the roof.