Called The Ancient Shepherds, the restaurant with rooms is being launched by the Michelin starred chef along with new business partners Gareth and Emma John.
Poynton, who runs Michelin starred Norwich restaurant Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, will lead the kitchen alongside his new chef Chris Lee, whose experience includes holding 3 AA rosettes for over decade at a number of places around Suffolk including the Bidleston Crown.
The restaurant will be tasting menu only using as many ingredients as possible from the kitchen garden located at the back of the restaurant. Menus will come in options of three, five or seven courses each including bread, snacks and amuse bouche, and dishes on the summer menu will include chilled pea mousse, cottage cheese and truffle; wakame cured cod, tomato and elder ponzu, and lemon puree; and loin of hogget, tapenade puree, tomato, anchovy, and courgette.
For dessert will be sweet pineapple parfait, fennel sorbet, pineapple and fennel pollen meringue (pictured).
The tasting menu approach will ensure food costs are tightly managed, according to the restaurant, and make it easier to manage staff. The kitchen will be made up of one team that will work a four-day week and have set holidays throughout the year when the restaurant will close.
The 34-cover restaurant is housed in a former pub dating back to 1580 and will have a pink and grey colour palette, round and oval shaped ceramic slate topped tables, and paintings by local artists on the walls. There will also be a lounge area for pre or post dinner drinks.
In addition, there will be five rooms that are available to book with or without a dining experience.
Fen Ditton residents Gareth and Emma have been fans of Poynton’s cooking since he opened his Cambridge-based restaurant Alimentum in 2009.
The Ancient Shepherds opens on 16 July.