Lark in Bury St Edmunds ‘delighted’ at restaurant and dish of the year praise from top critic Jay Rayner

A couple who own a Suffolk restaurant have said they were ‘delighted’ that their food was described as ‘perfectly poised deliciousness’ and the place took the breath away from one of the UK’s top food critics.

Sophia and James Carn, who opened the Lark, on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds in February last year, welcomed Jay Rayner in July and in his end of year review of his food travels named it his restaurant of the year and its rabbit and black pudding pie as his dish of the year.

The Lark has already been named in the Michelin Guide and made the Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Local Restaurants in the UK since opening, as well as a raft of other accolades.

In the critic’s review in The Guardian, he said of his visit and his favourite dish: “Chef James Carn produced gorgeous plates of perfectly poised deliciousness.

“It (the rabbit and black pudding pie) was an extraordinary piece of work. I described it as the love child of a ‘Wellington and a Scotch egg’.

“It was bound in a shiny pastry lattice work, and sat on a silky pea purée, itself within a pond of girolles-studded jus.

“Sometimes, we crave simplicity. Sometimes we need it. But there’s always a place for brilliant, talented chefs showing us exactly what they can do. The rabbit and black pudding pie was certainly my favourite dish of 2023 and Lark, my restaurant of the year.”

On such high praise, the pair said: “We are delighted to be named Jay Rayner’s restaurant and dish of the year, such a fantastic way for us to end the year.

“The Rabbit and Black Pudding Pie has been on our menu from the day we opened and the pie itself has remained unchanged with the garnish moving with the seasons.”

The Lark, which is in the former Flower Hut building and serves small plates of food with fresh, seasonal produce, has just reopened following its winter break.