to travel into neighbouring counties if they want a Michelin experience and the lack of restaurants in Dorset with stars is something that puzzles even Russell.
“There’s no reason why there aren't more Michelin-starred restaurants in this county,” said Russell. “We have some great produce in the area, and it is an odd situation I have to say. If you look at how many there are in Devon or Cornwall, for Dorset just to have the one is a bit odd really."
Russell's first job in the industry came at the age of 27, when he worked at the Alverton Manor hotel in Cornwall. He then went on to work at Percy’s Country House hotel before getting his first job as a head chef at Yalbury Cottage hotel in Dorset.
He then moved to the Horn of Plenty in Devon before opening his own restaurant in 2003 with his wife Elena.
He may be calling time on Sienna but he isn’t hanging up his chef whites just yet, he said: “I thoroughly enjoy what we do and I can’t imagine a situation where I’m not cooking in one way or another. Another restaurant is always a possibility, if there’s a backer out there it’s something I’ll always be interested in.”
He added: “Both Eléna and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years; friends, family, staff, suppliers and all our customers. We hope that our remaining time will be as busy as ever.”
Russell and Elena have done some fundraising for Hospitality Action, the industry’s main benevolent charity, over the years and wanted to do something more before their last service at Sienna, so they will be donating £5 from every bill in April to the charity.
