Andrew Sheridan continues to wow diners in Liverpool and beyond – and, he says, this is just the start
Andrew Sheridan’s restaurant Dishes in Prestatyn has been listed in the latest Michelin Guide. The Prestatyn High Street restaurant follows Andrew’s others into the prestigious Guide, including his flagship venture, 8 By Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool.
Dishes, which offers diners small and large sharing plates, has been added to the restaurant bible, which invited diners to ‘take a seat at the counter or a high-topped table and relish the opportunity to delve into a roll-call of terrific Welsh ingredients’. It also praised the ‘relaxed atmosphere where the service team and chefs are adept at interacting with their guests’.
It’s the latest Sheridan-run operation to feature in the Guide, which also includes 8 By Andrew Sheridan; OXA in the Wirral; and Black & Green in Barnt Green. Somehow, Absolutely managed to find some time to sit down with the acclaimed chef to see what all this means for the now and the future.
Andy Sheridan on Michelin Success, Innovation & What’s Next
A Michelin Moment – From Prestatyn to Liverpool
Congratulations on Dishes being listed in the Michelin Guide. How does that feel?
Thank you! We were delighted to have Dishes listed in the Michelin Guide – yet another of our restaurants to be featured in the Guide, and a testament to the hard work of all the team there. I loved that the Guide recognised our commitment to showcasing brilliant Welsh ingredients as this is something we really pride ourselves in.
Why did you originally want to open in Prestatyn?
I spent time in that area of north Wales growing up (I grew up in north Wales and Liverpool), so for me it’s home. I don’t live too far from there now. The town showed real potential; it didn’t have anything like Dishes and yet I knew the market for it was there. We felt if we pitched it right, it would be a success, and so far, this has been the case.
What was your grand plan behind Dishes when you opened?
I really wanted to bring my style of food to Prestatyn as, like I say, there wasn’t anything else like it in the town. Really good eating options were few and far between. I also wanted somewhere with a great atmosphere that you’d be likely to return to again and again. This was the key consideration when we came up with the menu and drinks list.
Why the sharing menu approach?
We wanted to create somewhere with a lively, social atmosphere – nothing too formal or stuffy, that wouldn’t have worked. So, the idea of sharing plates of food with a great drinks list seemed to be the right way to go. There’s nothing better than sitting down with your best mates and sharing loads of delicious food. On Sundays, we do the big roast dinner sharing plate, and there really is nothing better! It’s the best Sunday roast you’ll ever eat – amazing meat and all the trimmings.
What dishes have you recently added to the menu that you particularly love and why?
That’s a tricky one as I love all the dishes on the menu right now – I only really serve the kind of food that I want to eat. Obviously, I love the Sunday roast option, but – from the larger plates’ selection – the halibut steak with curry sauce always goes down a treat.
The Evolution of 8 By Andrew Sheridan
We have featured you and 8 By Andrew Sheridan before, back in 2023. How was 2024 for the restaurant?
It was a great year for 8 By Andrew Sheridan – one in which we maintained our three AA Rosette status, and where we featured regularly on ‘the best of Liverpool’ lists. The restaurant was always fully booked, and I feel we continued to raise our game in terms of our food offering. I am proud of every service there, we’ve worked really hard to cultivate a very special restaurant. This year we want to continue to improve – we’ll never get complacent.
Have you looked to introduce or change anything at 8 By Andrew Sheridan?
We’re always refining dishes, working out how to elevate them, and make them even better. We’re also continuously working with new suppliers to bring in the very best ingredients which inspire the menus we put together. We aim to constantly surprise and delight diners, while also feeling familiar, welcoming and without pretence. It’s constantly evolving, and I look forward to the year ahead and seeing what we can achieve.
What kind of dishes can we expect on the menu there in spring?
I love the change of the seasons and the new ingredients they bring. In spring, I look forward to working with the first vegetables of the season, as well as new season Welsh lamb – you can’t beat it.
How does OXA differ from 8 By Andrew Sheridan?
OXA is over in The Wirral and a bit more of a laid-back social dining experience than 8. It’s a neighbourhood restaurant focusing – as always – on showcasing the finest ingredients but stripped back compared to the flagship restaurant, It’s a more accessible introduction to fine dining. It’s run by head chef Jake Smith, who has his own style – he loves pickling and preserving and using locally foraged food. I’ve known Jake for 14 years and he came on board with us five years ago, starting off at our place in Worcestershire before moving to OXA. Jake’s really made his mark there, and diners are guaranteed a really lovely experience – one they’ll want to return to.
Do you look to offer different things at each of your restaurants, or do you like to have a similar strand running through each?
Yeah, we do try and offer different experiences depending on where our restaurants are located. However, what they all do have in common is delicious food comprising carefully sourced ingredients, prepared with expertise. We also put a lot of consideration into our wine and drinks list in all of our restaurants; we want diners to enjoy a complete experience where nothing is left to chance.
What do you make generally of the food and drink scene in the North West?
It’s great – I love the diversity of it, the variety of influences which really ignites my creativity. When we launched 8 in Liverpool (it was previously in Birmingham) the aim was to introduce a very different kind of dining to the city – it’s first chef’s table style restaurant, and I am proud to say we have done that. The region itself is constantly evolving; it’s getting better and better.
What’s Next for Andrew Sheridan?
Did you always have the ambition to open several restaurants?
Yes! I have always been ambitious since starting out in the industry; I was always looking for the next opportunity. I am proud how we have taken over multiple sites in quite a short space of time – as well as our restaurants in the North West we have three in the Midlands. It’s exciting to see our concepts continually evolve and our brand grow.
In this time of high costs, how difficult is it to do?
It is a time of high costs and hospitality continues to be a very challenging industry. In order to succeed we have to remain agile, change our business model and offering. I think we do this well and this has allowed us to continue to grow in challenging economic times. I am a firm believer that if the product and service you are providing is good enough then it can be a success.
Do you still have plenty of ambition to develop further and potentially open more establishments?
Absolutely! We are only just getting started.
