Dorset: Rick Stein to open new seafood restaurant in Sandbanks

Rick Stein has announced plans to open a restaurant in Sandbanks, Dorset. With views overlooking the water, the restaurant will seat around 200 and is set to open in late autumn.

With recent openings in Winchester and also Porthleven and Fistral in Cornwall, this latest project is next stage of the group’s business growth.

The self-titled ‘Rick Stein’ restaurant will offer classic seafood dishes such as Dover sole meunière, turbot hollandaise and fruits de mer, alongside a more casual lunch time menu with dishes such as a crab salad and moules frites.

On signing the lease with business partner Jill Stein, Rick Stein said: “Sandbanks is the perfect place for a good fish restaurant. I've had my eye on it ever since I passed through about 15 years ago when I travelled the coast of Britain to make the Seafood Lovers’ Guide. Somewhere to drop in for local lemon sole, oysters or crab I thought, and now my dream has come true.

“It'll be a place for some informal, inexpensive seafood maybe coming off Sandbanks beach or for spending some time on the Poole harbour side of the restaurant eating lobster or Dover sole, drinking lovely chilled white Burgundy and thinking how relaxing a view over the water can be. I'm very excited.”

2015 also celebrates the 40th anniversary of the opening of The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. From humble beginnings the business now employs over 400 and includes nine restaurants, hotel and self-catering accommodation, retail outlets and a cookery school. Rick and Jill Stein are both still at the helm, with all three sons involved in the business.