WIRRAL LIFE TALK TO KATHRYN AND TIM SIBTHORPE
Meeting Kathryn and Tim for the first time they appear to be a typical father and daughter , but this pair own and run a fabulous restaurant in Greasby - ‘ Oak ’. Wirral Life visited for lunch to find out a little more about them and of course , their exciting venture !
This is your first venture , what drove you both to become restaurateurs ? It ’ s not a decision we took lightly and we have learnt a lot in our first three months . We appreciated right from the start that we were entering a very tough business and we were determined to get it right . As a local student I had worked in bars and restaurants to earn some cash and this continued after I graduated . Dad has always been involved in good food and wine and he has a lot of experience running businesses so it seemed like a good opportunity to work together . I think we make a good team .
Why did you establish Oak in Greasby ? We both live in Greasby ! Kat and I had been searching for the right location for over two years and we had Greasby in our sights from the beginning . Being right in the heart of the Wirral we felt that a fresh and exciting venue would attract people from across Wirral and further afield , and it looks like we were right ! We were also conscious of the need to source great fresh produce and the Wirral is certainly a good place to start . We already had friends in the industry and they have been very supportive of Oak . We source all our fish from Wards Fish and our meat from local sources such as A . I . Roberts in West Kirby and local farms . This was an essential part of our business plan .
Does local sourcing of food matter that much ? It does if you want a truly fresh food restaurant ! Customers are very informed about the health benefits and the environmental impact of eating fresh food with low “ food miles ”. One of our first actions was to strip out most of our freezers ( we still like ice cream so we needed to keep only one !) and we are proud to say that we are now almost totally a ‘ cook from fresh ’ kitchen . It is more expensive to produce food this way but the idea of serving our customers preprepared dishes is completely unacceptable . You may have to wait a little longer for your food but you can relax knowing that it is being cooked from fresh by our kitchen brigade and it will be well worth the wait !
The kitchen brigade must be quite talented ? We were very lucky to attract a great Chef like Kris Foulger-Roberts to head up our new brigade . Kris believes in what we are trying to achieve and is excited to be handling such great produce . He works with his Sous Chefs to bring out the very best in the produce in a simple and uncomplicated way . We are a Bistro after all ! It ’ s a great place to work with Chefs being challenged to create dishes that reflect the seasons and work across a range of skills that would not be seen in most restaurants today . We are also investing in the future of the industry and have two local youngsters as trainees .
You can ’ t source your wines locally ? True , but we do the next best thing . We work with a limited number of suppliers to access small independent wines from producers who really care about their wines . Our friends at Whitmore and White stock a lot of our selection , if anyone takes a real fancy to one of our hand-picked wines . Our wine supplier works for Liberty Wines but he lives in West Kirby , so it really is investing back into our community .
The cocktail culture has really taken off . What are you doing at Oak to respond to the demand ? The growth in Gin and Vodka based drinks has a fantastic following and we see it only expanding further . We are very fortunate at Oak as we have a special relationship with Chase Distillers . Kat ’ s partner , Ben Hills , is the product champion for Chase and that means he lives in Greasby as well . Ben is one of the best mixologists in the country and has designed a cocktail range specifically for us . We are particularly proud of our range of Chase spirits as they are all made in England from fresh British produce and are recognised as a premium brand . You only have to try the rhubarb or the new lemon vodka to see how good they are on their own , but mix them and you are transported to another world . We have cocktails available every day and can offer advice on pairings with our food .
How about everyone ’ s secret desire , desserts ? Well that is Kat ’ s strong point . Before we started Oak I ran a small specialist cake business and so it is not a surprise that I have insisted upon freshly baked cakes and scones from our kitchens . All of our cakes , fancies and scones are available daily and we are just about to launch our afternoon teas on Mothering Sunday . For the more serious pudding eater we have a homemade dessert menu that often features specials from my brother Chris who , along with his partner Natalie , runs Eponine Patisserie & Chocolaterie ( they are also available online or from Whitmore and White ). One of our most exciting developments is to use Eponine hot chocolate as our house brand . Chris and Natalie won double world class Gold Medals for their hot chocolate making it officially the best hot chocolate in the world . If you pop in to Oak it is well worth trying the hot chocolate with a piece of Chris ’ s chocolate cake on the side , heaven !
And a good coffee to finish of the perfect meal ? Unfortunately we do not grow coffee on the Wirral , but we have the next best thing ! We already knew Steve and Karen from Flaming Bean Roastery based in Neston so it was a simple decision to make . They have the same values as ourselves and are very particular about the type and source of the coffee beans they source from across the world . Visiting their little coffee roasting house you can see ( and smell ) the freshness of their coffees and if you pop in to Oak you can taste them served to perfection by our trained baristas .
So , a local fresh food restaurant serving the community ? Yes we are very excited to see where our first year takes us . We are in the process of refurbishing the first floor and patios for the warmer weather and we are continually looking for ways to improve .
Wirral Life readers should make themselves known , for the warmest of welcomes . Don ’ t miss our exclusive Wirral Life offers and competitions in the coming months .
To find out more about Oak Restaurant , visit : www . oakbistro . co . uk
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