A chef who runs a café on a Redhill industrial estate has teamed up with a Reigate wine merchant to run a pop-up restaurant in the former premises of Tony Tobin's The Dining Room.

Max McKenzie, owner of Max's Kitchen in Holmethorpe Avenue, has opened Max & The Vineking in the unit above Prezzo in the High Street - but it's only open in December.

The chef is working on the project with The Vineking wine merchant in Reigate.

He has been running pop-ups in the Vineking shop itself, in Church Street, twice a month for the last five years through his events company, Salted Events.

But when the lease became available for The Dining Room he saw the opportunity to host them in a bigger space, and more frequently over the festive month.

Max, 28, who lives on Reigate Hill, said: "This is a natural evolution if you like.

"We can entertain more people at once. It's almost the next step for us."

While Max is running the kitchen, at the front of house and taking care of the wine is one of the directors of The Vineking, Frank Dudley.

Customers are served a three-course set menu of a starter, main and dessert, plus bread and butter and canapés before the starter and petit fours after dessert - all for £35.

There is also the optional extra of a cheese course, for £6.

"We try and keep [the price] quite accessible," said Max.

The set menu changes weekly and there is a vegetarian option and specials on offer too so if you return within the month, there will be a different menu.

Max McKenzie has teamed up with The Vineking in Reigate to run a pop-up restaurant

Produce comes from local suppliers including meat from Robert & Edwards butchers and bread from Chalk Hills Bakery in Reigate.

Of course, with The Vineking on board, there is a large range of wines available by the glass or you could choose a "wine flight" – a selection of wines – to match the week's menu.

A sample menu shows a starter of grilled stone bass, caramelised cauliflower and lemon with a main course of Surrey beef sirloin, baked celeriac, confit garlic potato, crispy kale and red wine sauce.

Max described the style of food on offer: "It's very similar to what we do at the pop-up [at the Vineking]. Simple things done really, really well.

"It's seasonal cooking done with a bit of flair."

He avoids using the term fine-dining at the pop-up because the experience is "not really very pretentious".

The pop-up is almost fully booked for the rest of the month but there is availability on December 28, 29 and 30, mainly at lunch time but also in the evenings if you are prepared to be flexible with times.

At the moment the plan is to run it temporarily but Max said they would like to run it again in the future.

Max & The Vineking has opened for December only at the former premises of Tony Tobin's The Dining Room

There will be pop-up events held at The Vineking in January for those who can't make December in the High Street venue.

While at university, Max took up a placement at what was then Gordon Ramsay's Pétrus restaurant in the Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge.

Celebrity chef Marcus Wareing of MasterChef fame was its executive chef.

Wareing asked him to stay on so Max ditched his degree and while working there the restaurant became Wareing's own, called Marcus. It holds two Michelin stars.

Max went on to work at the Michelin-starred St John restaurant in Smithfield before branching out on his own in the field of private dining alongside The Vineking.

He said: "It's just been a really energising, enjoyable experience. I have just really, really enjoyed being in the restaurant cooking again."

To book for December or for information about future events, go to https://saltedevents.co.uk

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