Michele English and Russell Clement, winners of BBC Two’s programme, The Restaurant, today announced that their new restaurant, The Cheerful Soul in the Hare & Hounds, in Marlow, will be open from 7th July 2009.

The seasonal menu will take inspiration from great British produce such as South coast crab and clotted cream tart; a pressed ham terrine with cauliflower piccalilli; Chervil Tagliatelle with mushrooms, pea shoots, wild garlic and soured cream; and a fillet of trout braised with early summer vegetables, white wine and basil. Many of the herbs and vegetables will be from the small garden Russell and Michele have created behind the property.

Should you have room for more, delicious desserts such as rhubarb trifle will be hard to resist, along with a traditional British cheese board served with charcoal biscuits and oven dried grapes.

A great value set menu, the Nip & Tuck, will be available for lunch and dinner, priced from £11.50 for a two-course lunch and £15 for a two-course dinner. A nip is traditionally a third of a pint, so each meal will be served either with a glass of wine or a nip of ale.

The renovation of the 17th century country pub that is home to The Cheerful Soul has taken three months of hard work and dedication by a team lead by Michele and Russell, who have lovingly exposed century old beams and opened up rooms so they are flooded by sunlight.

There will be two bars, one dedicated to locals, offering a variety of British beers, including hand pulled ales and Pimms on tap, as well as bar snacks, such as prawns with mayonnaise and home-made pork pies. Beyond the bar is a 60-70 cover restaurant driven by seasonality and British produce, initially open for lunch and dinner five and a half days a week.

Michele and Russell’s energy, creativity and attention to detail are evident throughout the Hare & Hounds, from the quality of the in season produce sourced and the research and evolution of traditional British recipes; to the warm welcome that awaits you on arrival and personality injected into the décor.

The Cheerful Soul in the Hare & Hounds will open for lunch and dinner five and a half days a week (closed Sunday evenings and all day Monday). For reservations call 01628 483343 or email hello@thecheerfulsoulrestaurant.co.uk

The Cheerful Soul in the Hare & Hounds, which is backed by restaurateur and legendary chef, Raymond Blanc, of Brasserie Blanc and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, is more than a restaurant, it is the first step to fulfilling a dream for Russell and Michele. The journey began when they entered and won a coveted place as one of nine couples competing in the second series of BBC Two’s The Restaurant. After trials, tribulations and a very tense train journey catering for passengers on the Orient-Express, they triumphed, winning the opportunity of a lifetime, to open their very own restaurant. The Hare & Hounds is a traditional 17th century country pub and restaurant on the Henley Road, within walking distance of Marlow town centre, which is an idyllic and historic town on the River Thames.

Follow our progress at www.micheleandrussell.blogspot.com

For more information on The Restaurant, go to www.bbc.co.uk/restaurant/