It’s been a great month for Olney. It has been named as one of the top ten places to live in the South-East by The Sunday Times, and it has The Cherry Tree, a brand-new pub and restaurant, which opened its doors for the first time this week.
The Cherry Tree – named after the town’s legendary Cherry Fair – is a sensitive and elegant restoration and extension of a two-storey, Grade II Listed house, converted from an old, closed residential care home.
The opening was marked by the town’s Mayor, Cllr Jeremy Rawlings pulling the first pint.
Overlooking the Market Place, The Cherry Tree opens every day from 8am and will be serving drinks and food all day.
Many of the old Victorian and Georgian features such as cornicing, plasterwork, sash windows, parquet flooring and fire places have been painstakingly renovated and reinstated to integrate and yet contrast with the inspirational contemporary design.
The space created is subtly interspersed with antiques and cherry tree-themed works of art sourced locally, including 1930s oil painting and original 1920s Tiffany wall lights in the Lobby.
Set within the original garden courtyard, the 100-seat restaurant is a contemporary addition.
A beautiful, light room where one side features an impressive, open theatre-style kitchen, where guests can watch Head Chef, Michal Dabrowski, and his brigade freshly prepare their dishes from their wide-ranging Mediterranean-influenced Spring/Summer menu.
The chefs can be seen grilling and roasting over the Josper charcoal ovens and grills and preparing hand-crafted authentic Italian Pizzas in a beautiful copper-clad, wood-fired pizza oven.
The menu also features an imaginative and delicious range of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Stevie Watts, who grew up nearby, is the Cherry Tree’s first general manager said: “Olney is such a vibrant and busy town and richly deserves the Sunday Times accolade. We’ve been overwhelmed by the friendly welcome we’ve had since starting building work here. Everyone has been struck by the extraordinary transformation that’s taken place
– and the choice of stylish settings for both drinks, dining and events.”
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