The owners of a restaurant in Bury St Edmunds have been left reeling after a top celebrity food critic named their establishment the best he visited in 2023.
Lark opened in Angel Hill in the former Flower Hut site in February 2023.
Within the first six months of its opening, food critic for The Observer, Masterchef: The Critics winner and BBC One Show reporter Jay Rayner had written a glowing review.
Now, Mr Rayner has revealed his top eats of 2023 – with Lark coming out on top.
"The fact that he had even considered coming to our tiny little restaurant in Bury St Edmunds was amazing," said Sophia Carn, who owns Lark with her head chef husband, James.
"But for him to go and reflect after the meal and name it restaurant of the year feels quite surreal."
Not only was the restaurant named Mr Rayner's restaurant of 2023, but the rabbit and black pudding pie was his favourite dish of the year too.
"His visit was a great experience for the whole team and he is very welcome to come back any time," said Mrs Carn.
It has most definitely been the first year that the couple hoped for.
"It has flown by and been a real whirlwind," said Mrs Carn.
"When we opened the restaurant we came up with a plan of what we wanted to achieve in our first year, and we have exceeded what we hoped for.
"We are so pleased with our decision to open our little business."
Mrs Carn also paid homage to the hard-working team at Lark for their success.
She added: "The team is really instrumental in what we do.
"Our menu changes with the seasons and daily too, and our kitchen team put a lot of thought into it.
"We also really appreciate our regular customers and the honest feedback, which we always try to listen to."
Despite the success, the couple plan to focus on doing what they are doing at the restaurant.
"You couldn't take what we currently do and put it into a larger venue," said Mrs Carn.
"We love our venue and want to focus on Lark for now."
Lark is open for lunch and dinner sittings from Wednesday to Saturday weekly.
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