Stoke Park has opened the doors to its new flagship restaurant, The Penn. Created in partnership with acclaimed chef Tom Sellers, the chef behind two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in London, the venue marks the first stage of the estate’s new chapter following an extensive period of restoration and renovation.

Named after John Penn, the restaurant offers a 48-cover dining room and an intimate private dining room seating eight. The concept has been developed by Sellers alongside chefs Dom Robinson, Tom Phillips and HiStory Hospitality, with an à la carte menu drawing on British culinary history, seasonality, provenance and classical French technique.

The opening menu features dishes including terrine of spiced pig’s head and langoustines with brown butter naan, Burgundy poached oysters with horseradish and saucisson de Lyon, and culurgiones of potato and black truffle with Pecorino Sardo. Main courses include Chiltern Hills venison with Jerusalem artichokes, quince and wild mushrooms, roast wild sea bass with garden leeks, vermouth, saffron potatoes and caviar, and tronçon of turbot with choucroute, salsify and sauce lie de vin. Larger dishes designed for two include Chateaubriand ‘François-René’ Rossini with garden vegetables and duck à l’orange served in two courses with endive and pomme Anna. Desserts include chocolate Negus ‘Nico Ladenis’, crème brûlée soufflé and The Penn rice pudding with raisins, pistachios and saffron.

Seasonality and provenance play an important role in the restaurant’s approach, with produce from Stoke Park’s own Kitchen Garden, overseen by Kate Nannery, formerly kitchen gardener at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. The menu will evolve throughout the year, with dishes including Salad Lancelot, made with vegetables and leaves from the garden, reflecting the relationship between the kitchen and the surrounding 300-acre estate. The wine cellar has been curated by Carolina Seibel, Group Head of Beverage at HiStory Hospitality, with a wider beverage offering developed by Giuseppe Masala, Beverage Manager.

Studio Shayne Brady has overseen the design of the space and its adjoining private dining room, drawing inspiration from the history of the English country-house dining room. The interiors balance the elegance of a formal dining space with a more relaxed, contemporary approach, incorporating plaster walls, architectural columns and grand lantern lighting. A substantial limestone fireplace anchors the room, while a palette of greens, deep plum and soft plaster tones is complemented by traditional contemporary artwork and carefully detailed timberwork.

At high level, a bespoke plaster frieze depicts flora and fauna found across the Stoke Park estate, connecting the restaurant’s interiors with the surrounding landscape. An Old Master-style landscape painting provides a reference to traditional country-house interiors, while a sculptural mobile at the centre of the dining room introduces a contemporary focal point. Café curtains, bespoke lighting and timber flooring laid in a modern inlaid pattern complete the space.

Leading from the main restaurant, The Penn’s eight-seat private dining room has been designed as a more intimate space, inspired by the character of a traditional private study. Guests enter through a dedicated wine corridor before arriving in a room featuring trompe l’oeil timber-effect panelling, bronze-toned chairs, layered drapery and medieval-inspired pendant lighting.

The Penn forms part of a wider collection of five new dining and drinking concepts including The Piano Bar, The Tea Room, Clubhouse and The Terrace & Glasshouse, which will offer a more informal dining experience.