About Sophie

Sophie and Mark Craddock have been running Sophie's Restaurant in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire for over 10 years now.

Sophie, a Fine Arts graduate, making use of the culinary skills gleaned from her French mother, Mark calling on all his marketing and specialist wine knowledge.

Their central philosophy is that the food used should be of the highest quality, be it free range, organic or real meat products, and that it should be cooked without fuss or pretension to bring out its true fresh flavour.

A new menu is created every day to take advantage of the freshest produce available. Fish is a particular speciality. Wines served with the meals are specially selected to complement the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant is reminiscent of the very best found in rural France.

Sophie's Restaurant was a great success within a few months of opening. So much so that after giving birth to triplets, Sophie relocated the business to The Priory in Minchinhampton High Street, a grade II listed 18th century building, with a large kitchen, vast cellars, four dining areas and a wealth of extra space. After extensive renovation, it was opened in May 2003 and customers old and new greeted it with approval. Sophie's Restaurant has won many awards locally and nationally.

Our suppliers

Sophie's philosophy has always been to use the best quality produce including locally-sourced, organic real meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. As well as cooking, Sophie is personally involved in sourcing all produce and is pleased to list her major suppliers.

• Meat and Poultry:
  
  • Taylor's in Minchinhampton (Real Meat Co. and Princess Royal's Gatcombe Park Farm)
  • G. Cullimore & Son, New House Farm, Slimbridge
  • Madgett's Farm Poultry, Chepstow
     
•  All fish and seafood:
  • Jeff the Fishman!, regular deliveries and in Market Place, Minchinhampton on Thursday
    
• Fruit and vegetables (all seasonal and locally sourced as far as possible):
  • Derek Sollars - local supplier from Gloucester
  • Primrose Vale Farm - seasonal vegetables and fruit, Shurdington
  • Stancombe Beech Farm - fresh seasonal vegetables, Bisley
    
• Dairy and fresh free range eggs:
  
  • Prudence Townsend - Greenhouse Court, Painswick
  • Woefuldane Farm and Dairy - Minchinhampton
     
• Bread, jam, wine, vinegar and herbs:
  • Home produced and homemade. Flour from Shipton Mill, Tetbury.

In addition to the locally sourced produce, as above, Mark and Sophie bring Walnuts and Quinces from their garden in France together with other French produce and selected wines from Languedoc Roussillon. 

Questions for Sophie:

What's the one ingredient that you could never do without?

"Good quality free range eggs that we buy from our neighbouring local farm near Bulls Cross where we live. They make a real difference to everything I make. Their wonderful intense yellow colour is the key sign that the eggs are really fresh and free-range."