Following a successful 2018, The Grazing Sheep has started the year with two award wins.

Ipswich Star: Tuck into delicious food at The Grazing SheepTuck into delicious food at The Grazing Sheep (Image: Archant)

The Grazing Sheep, which was reopened by father and son team Bart and Julian Bisbal, has enjoyed much success since it relaunched under their ownership last April.

Bart and Julian, who have plenty of plans in place for the eatery, are hoping to continue that success this year. And 2019 has already started well – The Grazing Sheep has been presented with two accolades at the 2018 Waterfront Life Restaurant of the Year awards, which were held earlier this month. The Grazing Sheep won the awards for Best Small Cover including Takeaway and Best Customer Service.

The pair will once again be running tapas and wine evenings, which were a hit from May to October last year, in 2019.

On Friday and Saturday nights, diners can enjoy classic Spanish and contemporary style tapas – authentic tapas too, thanks to chef Julian’s travels around Spain.

Ipswich Star: The Grazing Sheep's awardsThe Grazing Sheep's awards (Image: Archant)

“They have become quite popular,” says Bart. “This year they will start on the first weekend in April and go right through to October.”

Alongside the tapas, you can enjoy wines and beers, and they are hoping to offer sherries and Vermouth this year too.

Meanwhile, in the daytime, The Grazing Sheep will continue to offer breakfast and brunch, lunch, snacks and cakes daily.

“Breakfast and brunch have become very popular, especially at weekends,” adds Bart.

The breakfast and brunch menu includes refined dishes such as Eggs The Grazing Sheep Way – poached eggs and hollandaise sauce served on an English breakfast muffin with your choice of topping, ham, spinach or salmon.

And at lunchtime, there’s no run of the mill sandwiches here (“I feel lucky because rather than just a cook I have a chef,” Bart says of Julian.)

There’s a Grazing Board, with a selection of cold cured meats with homemade pickles and house bread, or the vegetarian option of grilled roasted vegetables instead of the meat. Gluten-free bread can be provided for this dish and many of the delicious looking dishes are free from gluten too.

And it’s not just gluten-free diets The Grazing Sheep caters for. “Julian has planned a special vegan menu,” adds Bart. This has the added bonus that anyone avoiding dairy can dine at the venue too.

The vegan choices include the Full Veggie Monty – chickpea and peanut butter falafel, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, Peruvian avocado, tomato and mushroom served on an English breakfast muffin.

There are a range of drinks to choose from, too. Coffee can be regular or decaf, iced or served with plant-based milks, and there’s a range of teas, delicious hot chocolate and premium hot chocolate – with hot milk, a pure Belgian hot chocolate stirrer, marshmallows and syrup. Cold options include Fentimans soft drinks and Firefly herbal fruit drinks.

Food is cooked to order so the café doesn’t offer fast food, rather good food, fast.

“It’s very informal, with friendly service,” says Bart. With that, good food and drink, and a view over the picturesque waterfront, what more could you need?

Find The Grazing Sheep at 15A Regatta Key, Ipswich, IP4 1FF. For more details, click here or call 01473 216832.