Our Story
The foundations of Acre
Acre is about food we love to cook and places we love to spend time in. It’s built by husband-and-wife team Mark & Sarah, alongside Sarah’s brother Andrew, all lifelong locals who’ve spent years creating restaurants people travel for, and more importantly, come back to.
At The Pheasant at Neenton and The Tally Ho, they’ve built a reputation for proper food and genuine hospitality. These are places where you can celebrate something special, meet friends midweek, or just turn up because you don’t feel like cooking and know you’ll be looked after and fed well.
Acre brings that same thinking into Bridgnorth, with a slightly different feel. A chop house built around bold flavours and a choose-your-own menu.
Sarah & Mark
For Sarah and Mark, it’s always been the same…
- Good food starts with quality ingredients.
- Good restaurants are built by good people and teams that care. Most of their staff across their restaurants have been with them for years.
- Good hospitality is about making people feel comfortable, not impressed.
They’ve always believed restaurants should be used, not just saved for special occasions (although they do those very well!).
Acre is their way of bringing this to more people, more often.
About Sarah
Sarah was born in Bridgnorth, and hospitality has always been close to home.
She’s a third-generation publican and she started young, waitressing in a local café at 13, earning £1.25 an hour and learning quickly what good service looks like (and what it doesn’t).
She trained with J.D. Wetherspoon, went on to open Birmingham Airport Kitchen, and picked up Associate of the Year there along the way, but it’s the day-to-day she still cares about most.
Polishing cutlery, making sure everything’s just so, looking after people properly and building teams that feel like family. She loves the buzz, the people, and the graft that comes with hospitality.
Just don’t ask her to make the coffees!
About Mark
Mark’s story starts nearby in Telford, before spending 13 years in Manchester honing his craft. He trained with Marco Pierre White and has been cooking professionally for over 30 years, for everyone from the Queen to prime ministers, but he’s happiest now behind the pass on a busy Saturday night in Shropshire.
He’s cooked more than 250,000 Yorkshire puddings (and counting), loves the rhythm and pace of a kitchen, and thrives on the banter that comes with it.
Mark loves coffee and Negroni’s (equally!) and would much rather be in the kitchen at night doing the potwash than on a breakfast shift!
Sarah and Mark have also raised four kids along the way, so they know a thing or two about feeding people properly from their biggest critics!
About Andy
Andy is Sarah’s brother and is the newest addition to their hospitality business – but as with Sarah, hospitality has always been part of his story.
Andy started out in pubs at 18 and hasn’t really left that world since! Along the way, he’s also travelled widely, performing as a professional dancer, capable of everything from ballet to back flips – so he brings a touch of energy and flair that still shows up on the restaurant floor today.
Qualified in wine, spirits and cellar management, Andy certainly knows his way around a bar. Andy organises staff training and days out to distilleries and breweries (any excuse!). He and Mark also once brewed their own ale at the local Hop & Stagger brewery (Mandy’s which was served at the Pheasant).
Andy’s all about the details; good beer, correct glassware, fresh food and fine wine combos. He loves the buzz of a busy service, looking after regulars, finding small cosy pubs, and making sure people have a good time.
Loved by Locals
Don’t take our word for it, take a look at our 5* reviews