Beyond the Menu: Wood Grill Restaurant in Bishop’s Stortford
In a new series, Richard Barrett visits local eateries to sample the food and tuck into the stories of the people who run them. This time he sees what Wood Grill Restaurant in Bishop’s Stortford has to offer.
Wood Grill Restaurant, at 7 Station Road in Bishop’s Stortford, is owned by Patrick Benabid. He started working in hospitality at the age of 17 and fell in love with the industry, opening his first pizza restaurant, Patrick’s Place, in Hull in 1994 at the tender age of 21. That first restaurant was the springboard to today’s Wood Grill, with three restaurants in Royston, Stansted and Stortford.
Patrick’s journey south was initially via St Albans, with a very busy operation which sadly was forced to close following a number of severe rent increases. Undeterred and determined, Patrick started again from scratch, setting up Wood Grill, initially in Stansted in 2014, followed by Royston in 2016 and then last year in Stortford.
Patrick took over the Station Road site from his brother. Initially he was unsure if he could make it viable as a restaurant, particularly as it is not in a traditional high street location. So he set to work to attract diners, offering a package of great value, fresh food, live music evenings and a discount scheme.
Patrick is a great believer in creating the best setting for guests, with attention to detail. One of the first impressions when we visited his Stortford diner was the discrete lighting, providing pools of light for each table and creating darker areas between them to create a comfortable and intimate ambience. Even though most tables were occupied, we welcomed the feeling of relaxation.
We started with a pistachio goat’s cheese salad (£9.95) and crispy English brie with gooseberry ketchup (£8.50), followed by a veggie burger featuring roast field mushrooms with sweet potato fries (£14.95) and a pollo pizza (£14.95). We finished with a strawberry sundae (£7.50) and a crème brûlée (£6.95).
The staff were attentive and complemented the feeling of a very friendly and warm environment. Consistency of service is a vital ingredient for Patrick. The restaurant uses fresh produce and all dishes and sauces are made onsite with not a microwave to be seen.
Offerings include gluten-free and vegetarian choices. Patrick is proud of his chefs, who are very happy to tailor dishes to individual requirements. Grilled burgers and chicken wings are the most popular choices, but the menu also includes a variety of pizzas cooked on the grill, steaks and barbecue pork and chicken dishes.
A busy takeaway service is available at all three restaurants, with a grill seated viewing area to watch your food being cooked. So close to the railway station in Stortford, a takeout could be ordered en route and collected on the way home.
Chef’s special seasonal dishes are available from time to time, built around the successful and popular core dishes in which the restaurant specialises. A children’s menu consists of three courses plus a drink for £11.95.
A covered garden, open from mid-May, adds a further 40 seats to the 60 in the main dining room. The restaurant and garden area are available for private parties, offering buffet selections, which can be organised for special occasions.
As for the future, Patrick is planning to open more Wood Grills. His love and passion for what he does are infectious and his mantra will continue to be an offer of excellent quality food and service at an affordable price. He prides himself on delivering pizzas that are a slice above the ordinary.
The Stortford restaurant is open seven days a week, midday to 10pm for food. The Stortford restaurant has disabled access and toilet. The Stansted restaurant has disabled access from the rear to access the restaurant, but does not have a disabled toilet. Dogs are welcome in the Stortford restaurant between midday and 6pm.
Find out more at www.woodgrillrestaurant.co.uk.
