Top Nottingham chef celebrates one year with star collaborations
Published On Saturday 21 Jun 2025 by Sticky Beak
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The highly successful first year in business of a popular restaurant in Nottingham’s Bridlesmith Gate is being celebrated with a unique series of guest chef collaborations.
Nichola Thompson, the Nottingham-born chef and owner of Table 47, launched her exclusive private dining restaurant a year ago at 47 Bridlesmith Gate.
Twelve months later, the Michelin-trained chef is ‘cooking on gas’ after a series of sell-out stints and celebrity events.
Now, she says she wants to share that success with customers and fellow culinary professionals with a series of 'guest chef takeovers’.
The entrepreneur, who trained in the restaurants of Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes, has invited coveted chefs Hira Thakur, Ritchie Stainsby, Louisa Ellis, and Michael O’Hare to showcase their work at the exclusive city centre venue on selected dates over the summer.
Nichola said: “These chefs, from all over the UK, are amazing. MasterChef contestants and winners, specialist in their field and Nottingham legends, they have some inspirational dishes up their sleeves and are going to offer customers evenings to remember.”
The chefs have been selected for the collaboration events based on their exceptional skills and compatibility with Nichola’s ethos. The 36-year-old (check) is committed to quality, locally sourced food, as well as sustainability and exclusivity.
Hira Thakur was a MasterChef: The Professionals contestant in 2020 and has already set the ball rolling with a sell-out pop-up at Table 47.
Hira, the former head chef at Cleaver & Wake, The Old Vol and former Nottingham culinary favourite Six, at Trent Bridge, entertained and fed guests at the intimate Bridlesmith Gate venue last month.
Having moved to the UK from his home in the Himalayas, Hira draws upon his heritage for his culinary inspiration, creating dishes with an Asian/Indian influence. With two sold out dates in July a third date is expected.
Ritchie Stainsby will be showcasing his ‘Weird and wonderful supper club’, in which childhood nostalgia is blended with bold and unexpected flavour combination.
The vegan chef said: “Expect interactive, communal dining where the boundaries between food and art disappear."
Louisa Ellis, who specialises in modern European food, has now sold out her current pop-up dates and has a waiting list for an anticipated August date. MasterChef: The Professionals finalist in 2017 and winner of the Christmas special in 2018, Louisa also appeared on BBC television show The Great British Menu.
Louisa will be collaborating with Nichola on a special ladies’ night, which will include a ladies-only supper, cocktails and prize auction, where any money raised will be donated to local charities that support women.
Michael O’Hare is the former chef-patron at Man behind the Curtain restaurant, in Leeds, for which he earned the city its first Michelin honour in 2015. The Michelin starred chef has also appeared on TV shows including Great British Menu and MasterChef.
On the evenings, guest chefs will be working in the heart of this high-end venue at the centrepiece reclaimed wood chef’s table.
Nichola will also be getting in on the fun. As well as working with the chefs at their pop-up events to create fresh and vibrant dishes designed to impress, she will be hosting her own supper clubs including a Portuguese tasting menu on Thursday, July 24, and a Whiskey evening on Friday, August 1.
Table 47 is a bespoke dining service, which allows guests to hire the entire venue and Nichola as their private chef. Menus are bespoke and designed exclusively around individual parties.
This has led to a series of high-profile customers including a well-known musician who wanted to dine away from prying eyes, as well as catering for various celebrations including engagements, wedding parties and even football teams. The team at Nottingham Forest has been especially supportive of Nichola, who was the club’s former performance chef.
Unlike the private dining evenings, the pop-up events will be charged on a per person basis just like a traditional restaurant.
Nichola said: “The restaurant and our private at-home dining arm of the business, have been a huge success.
“We’ve catered for an array of clients, celebrations and situations; everything from an event for 20 people at a Sherwood Forest manor house to catering for a film studio on a Disney film set.
“We’ve even cooked in the boardrooms at Watford FC and Nottingham Forest.”
In fact, the high-end venue had a three-month waiting list between November and February 2024/25. It is already 50 per cent booked for the Christmas 2025 period.
Nichola added: “The pop-up events are the perfect way to celebrate such a successful first year.
“Our customers will enjoy some unique events and it is a great way to support fellow chefs who don’t have their own premises, but want to showcase their amazing work close up and personal.”
To book, DM @nicholathompsontable4 via Instagram, email: enquiries.table47@outlook.com or visit table47 | Instagram, TikTok | Linktree
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