Dorset’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Sienna, closes on 25 April. Owned and run by Chef Russell Brown and his wife Eléna, Sienna has been trading in Dorchester for twelve years with Russell and Eléna’s last service being on the restaurant’s twelfth birthday.
In this time, Sienna has served over 30,000 customers and has received extensive critical acclaim culminating in the award of a Michelin star in 2010, an award that, along with three rosettes from the AA, has been retained until the couple finish at Sienna.
Russell and Eléna are delighted that a sale has been agreed on the business and that, after a short break, Sienna will re-open under new management.
New challenges ahead
Russell has spent a considerable amount of time working on other projects over the last four or five years, including some teaching, consultancy, recipe development and writing. He has also been responsible for the restaurant’s PR, social media and all its food and event photography for the last two years.
Russell commented, “We have had an amazing run at Sienna and are both immensely proud of our achievements during the last twelve years, so there is a degree of sadness in closing but I relish the new challenges ahead and I am looking forward to building Creative about Cuisine into a significant business within the hospitality sector. I am incredibly passionate about this industry and food in general so the opportunity to continue working within the sector, albeit in a different vein, is hugely exciting.”
The couple are supporting industry charity Hospitality Action in their last month at Sienna with £5 from every booking going to the charity. Eléna commented, “This is an exceptionally worthwhile charity to support; it is the industry’s main benevolent organisation and covers a number of roles including crisis grants and employee support programmes. We hope to raise over £500 in our last month.”
Creative about Cuisine
Russell’s new venture Creative about Cuisine is a culmination of twenty years experience in the catering industry, with twelve years spent running his own restaurant.
The business will offer a bespoke consultancy service for restaurants, hotels, cafes and food producers as well as one to one chef coaching, menu and recipe development. Russell will also be teaching and doing various guest chef dinners around the country. The company’s new website is a showcase for Russell’s photography, his blog and will also host a series of guest blogs.
Russell has various projects in place for the coming months including a consultancy contract for Kingston Maurward College and monthly columns in the Caterer magazine and new Dorset food magazine, Menu.
James Parsons, Hospitality Operations Manager at Kingston Maurward College said, “We are so excited about being able to work with Russell, his passion for local seasonal produce will help us develop an amazing food offer at the college for function guests, students and staff alike. It is also a great opportunity with Russell’s assistance to showcase the work of our food producing students and develop closer links with regional suppliers which should create opportunities for work experience and ultimately jobs.”
For more information click here