Blink and you may miss The Corkscrew when walking down St Benedicts Street in Norwich, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in flavour.

Sam Beggi opened the business, located next to The Plough, in March 2020 and just a few days into trading lockdown hit and he was faced with months of closure and no access to grants.

But despite the difficult opening, Mr Beggi has built a name for himself since restrictions lifted for his beautifully presented and tasting small plates, snacks and charcuterie and cheese platters.

He said: "I change the small plates every fortnight depending on what is in season and I use influences from where I have worked, including from Spanish, Asian, Italian and French chefs.

"I have worked in places where the menu changes every six months to a year and I got bored prepping the same stuff - it also keeps my motivation up."

Mr Beggi has English and Italian heritage and was born in Essex but grew up in the latter, coming to London when he was 16.

Despite being just 25, he has honed his craft working at fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants owned by the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett.

He moved to Norwich just before the pandemic and does all the cooking and serving at The Corkscrew.

He only gets extra help when doing his monthly tasting menus, with the next on Saturday, June 18.

While he is not allowed external seating, he has brought the outside in with rustic décor and it gets booked up most weekends.

There are a range of red, white and sparkling wines on offer and he is launching a new cocktail menu soon.

Among the dishes on the latest small plates menu are twice-cooked king oyster mushrooms and whipped goats cheese, with a homemade pasta dish always on.

Mr Beggi added: "When I opened, this end of St Benedicts Street was not as popular as it is now.

"Coming from London where things are 100 miles an hour, Norwich is much more relaxed."

The Corkscrew is open from 6pm Wednesday to Saturday.