158 FOOD & DRINK
THE EVOLUTION
OF ANDREW SHERIDAN
Even by his own admission , Andrew Sheridan ’ s food has evolved .
He ’ s a chef who , after two decades in the industry , has hit his stride .
Taking unnecessary elements off the plate , allowing the best ingredients speak for themselves has become his modus operandi . Many of his dishes now feature just three or four elements – a far cry from some of the kitchens where he trained when dishes featured 10 , 12 or more elements .
And it is with this confident , refined food , Sheridan has launched 8 By Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool .
He ’ d already won plaudits for About 8 in Birmingham – including three AA-Rosettes and acclaim from some of the country ’ s most revered food critics . The Times writer Marina O ’ Loughlin praised ‘ the restaurant where every dish is a jaw-dropper ’.
However , the opportunity to take the concept to his home city of Liverpool was just too irresistible , not to mention the rising rents and rates which had been starting to make Birmingham prohibitively expensive .
“ People talk about it being a chance for me to ‘ go home ’ but I ‘ go home ’ every weekend ,” says Sheridan , who had been returning to Merseyside every week , after the end of Saturday service in Birmingham , not returning until About 8 reopens on Tuesday .
“ We did consider London but I ’ m from the north … Liverpool is so vibrant . There seem to be more pockets of food places opening up there as well .”
Having grown up in North Wales and Liverpool , the region where most of his family grew up and still lives has proved to be big draw .
And although he ’ s loved cooking in Birmingham , it ’ s a city which already boasts five Michelin stars – the most outside London - and where tasting menus are plentiful .
Alongside About 8 , city dwellers can dine at Aktar Islam ’ s Opheem , Glynn Purnell ’ s namesake restaurant , and Andreas Antonia ’ s long-standing star-holder , Simpsons , amongst others .
THE ART OF LUXURY Issue 60 2023