Shelly's Bistro in Swaffham to host weekly Thai evenings

Michelle Czarnecki, owner of Shelly's Bistro in Swaffham, is now opening on Friday and Saturday nights with a Thai menu on offer.

The menu has been created by customer Ya Dathong Pitt, who has become guest chef to cook up Thai meals. 

Shelly's Bistro has been named the country's best café/bistro at the Food Awards England 2023 (Image: Shelly's Bistro)

Mrs Czarnecki, whose business was named winner of the Café/Bistro of the Year (East) category at the Food Awards England 2023 in Birmingham last October, said how a conversation brought this new evening to a reality.

“Ya and her husband approached me and spoke of her dreams of opening a restaurant,” she said.

Thai food on offer at Shelly's Bistro in Swaffham (Image: Supplied)

“So she asked me if I would be open to letting them take over for a night and cook, conversations started last year and took around four months to turn into a reality.

“This is the first time we have ever done something like this in the seven years I have owned the business.

Shelly's Bistro in Swaffham (Image: Google Maps)

“Winning the award has inspired me to keep improving the business, I will keep doing what I do during the day which has brought me this success, but in the night we can look at ways to offer people something new and exciting.”

The menu costs £25pp and includes three courses, with dishes such as chicken satay, Pad Thai, and stir fry seafood curry.

Saturday saw a fully booked opening night, and Mrs Czarnecki said she got a lot of “nice comments” from people who came along, adding: “People said how beautiful the food was, so it went down well. It is really good, and I'm pleased with the start." 

Mrs Czarnecki added that there are still a few kinks that need ironing out over the coming weeks to make the event the best it can be for both the business and its customers.