Food bloggers and diners are raving about the new food offering at The Fat Cat and Canary.
A pair of pals, who met just two months ago, have launched a new food business in the city which is already making huge waves with its "banging" Sunday lunch.
It's amazing to think that a chance pre-Christmas meeting down the pub between digital media agency owner Sam Horne and former head chef of Bishop's Dining Room, Freddie Griggs, would in the space of just a few weeks lead to them bringing an exciting new food concept to Norwich.
Having left the fine dining world, Freddie says he was looking for "something more relaxed. I wanted to perfect fine dining into something where we're serving high quality food but making it available to everyone rather than just those who can afford it."
Sam shared his vision: "I've always wanted to bring that fine dining level experience to a wider audience, with pricing at a benchmark average in the market so it's affordable to those who'd normally go to chain restaurants but want quality and thought to go into what they eat."
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Roll forward a few weeks and The Urban Eatery was launched at The Fat Cat and Canary on Thorpe Road, where the duo (who've taken on the kitchens) promise a fun, buzzing environment, loads of options for meat-eaters, vegans and veggies, and food that's made with love in-house, from scratch, be that breads, sauces, pickles and more.
Currently Sam and Freddie are perfecting their weekday menu, but they've been building a solid reputation in only a month of service, for dishing up one of the finest roasts in Norwich, using local produce and offering a range of sides so you can effectively 'build' your dream lunch.
"Our main focus," says Sam, "is to make sure everyone has the same experience. We want people to come in and spend a bit of time here. Have a drink and a chat and a good time with your friends and family, then enjoy a roast dinner without being rushed, and without having to do washing up at the end of it. For us it's one of the core days of the week and so far it's been fantastic. Some people have been asking to buy our gravy! They're shocked when we tell them it takes five days to make. We think they're impressed by the complexity of our roasts and we've been told by lots of people they can tell it comes from someone with a fine dining background."
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"It's one of my favourite meals," Freddie adds. "And it's something I've always loved cooking. What we're doing now is a massive opportunity for me to crack on and really express myself through this dish. It's a banging roast."
Served from 12noon to 4.30pm on Sundays, the weekend favourite gives you a choice of pork belly, topside of beef, celeriac and mushroom Wellington or nut roast croquette. It's served with crispy roast potatoes, confit carrot, a 'massive' Yorkshire pudding, roasted celeriac cream, homemade stuffing, roasted red onions and gravy. Reasonably priced sides include creamed sprouts, roasted red cabbage with a cherry glaze, cauliflower cheese, and pan-charred kale glazed with orange and sherry butter.
It's priced at £12.50 and can be booked via message The Urban Eatery's Instagram or Facebook pages, or by calling The Fat Cat and Canary.
The foodie pair are also serving proper pies, French dip sandwiches, loaded fries and more from the pub's hatch on Norwich City home match days.
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