The Restaurant

About the The School House Restaurant

The School House Restaurant is owned and managed by Robert & Emma Conway. It is located in South Normanton, in the Derbyshire DE55 area, just off J28 of the M1.

Rob and Emma brought the restaurant in 2005 with Rob’s Dad Pete. Pete has since left to go his travels but drops in from time to time to say hello, between catching flights.

Rob’s career spans more than 25 years, he’s an award winning chef who’s cooked in top hotels, rosette awarded restaurants and he’s truly passionate about food. Just as important is the fact that he listens to what the diners want, and based on demands he will adapt the menus accordingly.

It will be no surprise to see the menu change at least twice in a week, sometimes everyday.

Wherever possible only the freshest and finest produce is used in the preparation and production of our menus, which also applies to any International dishes created.

When embarking on the purchase of the School House Restaurant it was so very obvious that the building and its history should be retained in some way – hence the change of name to School House. Without making it too quirky and turning it back into a school it was felt that subtle memories of everyones School Days could be reintroduced in the design of the menus and the theme which has been carried into the corridor leading to the “girls & boys” washrooms.

Enhancing the food will be the Belgium & Local Beers in the White Harts atmospheric bar – the perfect accompaniment to your meal. This delightful pub is very definitely “snug” and has cosy friendly feel.

Don’t just take our word for it, why not pay us a visit and sample the changes.
The warmest of welcomes await you from The Dinner Ladies at the School House Restaurant.

The School House History

The original building now known as the School House
restaurant had previously been a school as far back as 1849 when it was the areas National School. Operated by a local school society it eventually closed in 1877 when a new school was built. At the time there were at least three other schools within South Normanton. In 1883 the building was once again rented as a school, however, if you look on the map in Kelly’s Directories it is listed as a public house in the 1st
edition, with no mention of the building in the 2nd edition.
Sadly there is no photographic reference.