Director of The Mistley Kitchen
Sherri’s culinary background includes over 30 years as a caterer, consultant, award-winning restaurateur/hotelier and executive chef in both her native southern California and in the UK.
After years of running her catering business in Los Angeles, Sherri relocated to the UK with her British husband David McKay in 1988 and was instantly drawn to the beauty and historical interest of the Mistley/Manningtree area where she opened her first acclaimed restaurant, The Stour Bay Café. Successfully operated by Sherri until 1997, the business was sold and Sherri and David took a two-year sabbatical in Santa Barbara, California. It is there that Sherri developed her love of teaching cookery.
In addition to teaching the workshops, Sherri is also the proprietor of two local food establishments. The Mistley Thorn is an award-winning restaurant with rooms specialising in locally landed seafood. Located just next door to the Mistley Kitchen, The Mistley Thorn has thirteen delightful rooms and suites on offer for those who wish to stay after, or before, a workshop.
Sherri has always had a great interest in wood-fired cooking, so in October 2008, she opened Lucca Enoteca on the site of the old Stour Bay in Manningtree. Lucca specialises in Neapolitan-style pizzas and regional artisinal Italian cooking. It has been a huge hit from the start; with it’s open kitchen and traditionally trained Italian pizziolos serving the most amazing handmade pizzas!
When not teaching and cooking at her restaurants, Sherri writes about food related issues for various publications and is working on her first cookbook.
