Yep. That's how it started. We wanted to open the most exciting restaurant in town... but that meant acknowledging that culinary talent is everywhere, except in our household.
Some of the places we've lived have had incredible food scenes. Norwich, with its historic market and buzzing street food scene, has just as much to offer, but there are also some big gaps in the culinary landscape. When we started to think about bringing new cuisines and styles of cooking to the market, First Draft just sort of took shape.
The bar side of things? That's more our comfort zone. We've served our time behind bars (and mopping the floors in front of them), so we're super excited to invite the foodies of Norwich to come spend time at our place.
About us?
WE'RE FOODIES WHO DON'T (REALLY) COOK.
The Concept
It's more fun to eat in a bar than drink in a restaurant.
We don't know who said that, but they were smart. We want all the excitement of haute cuisine, all the innovation of experimental cooking, but none of the stuffiness. Our mission has been to create a fun, welcoming environment, where new chefs experimenting and people trying dishes for the first time feel equally comfortable.
There are so many talented cooks out there. But opportunities to run a full kitchen are far and few between. We wanted to open up that door – to give chefs from all walks of life the chance to do food their way, on a full restaurant scale.
Not everything will be perfect. As each new chef adjusts to serving in our kitchen, there will be teething problems. But feedback is a central part of our concept. The food and drinks on our menus are brand new, in first draft phase. We want our patrons to feel like part of the refinement process – tell us, and our chefs, what works and what doesn't! Try something ahead of the curve, and potentially have an effect on the shape it takes in the future.
Our dream? To introduce you to the next big thing in food, and serve you your new favourite cocktail with it.