Charlie Hodson opens what could be the UK's smallest restaurant

Chef Charlie Hodson has launched what he believes may be the smallest restaurant in the UK.

Hodson and Co. No.23 in Aylsham, Norfolk, has been open four nights a week since November and can be booked out for private dining.

The space hosts a single reservation at a time, whether it be for two or 20 people.

Hodson opened the site as a delicatessen and cheese room in 2020 during lockdown but closed the retail side in October this year after struggling with rising costs.

He described the new restaurant as a passion project focused on highlighting the best of local Norfolk produce.

Cheese and dairy products feature in each of the eight courses on the tasting menu, which are paired with wines from Norfolk's TFW Fine Wines.

Hodson said: "This isn't a numbers game it's about passion. It means I get to cook. I'm trying to get a classification of maybe being the smallest restaurant in the UK.

"It's all about the story and provenance of the food that goes with everything. I can tell you where my pork, fish and vegetables come from. Most of the dishes are traditional that I've stripped apart and then reworked.

"The same love, thought and passion is put into the meal whether I'm cooking for two or 20. I hope people will feel like they're at home in their own dining room."

Hodson previously worked as executive chef at the two-AA-starred Grove in Cromer and is the founder of Charlie's Norfolk Food Heroes. He was named the Great Sausage Roll Off champion in 2017.

Hodson is looking to verify his belief that the restaurant is the smallest in the UK.

Image: Mim Howell Photography