A famous Nottingham chef and former MasterChef winner has spoken of his excitement ahead of the grand opening of a canalside restaurant which will be "first of its kind" in the city. Laurence Henry was speaking after he was named chef patron at Canal Turn – the restaurant and entertainment space at The Island Quarter development.
Now, Nottingham's very own culinary master has revealed his vision for the restaurant which is hoped to be a real success. The venue will incorporate two distinctive concepts combining the relaxed ambience of a typical British pub on the ground floor and a fine dining experience upstairs.
Chef Laurence Henry, who will be heading up the kitchen and venues, said: "It will be the first venue of its kind in Nottingham because it has a unique concept. The fine dine experience is my baby and I am so excited for it. The last two years were difficult for everyone, including the hospitality industry."
Wider plans for the redevelopment of the old Boots Island site include a five-star hotel, offices and residential apartments. Laurence won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2018 when he was just 25 and has since been in talks over his new position for more than two years - with ambitions to put down roots in his hometown.
He said: "It feels like I hibernated for the last year so I am more than excited to be back in the kitchen and give the Nottingham community that fine dining experience. It has been a long time coming. It feels like people have not really known what went on behind the scenes - we worked very hard for this.
"This restaurant will have something for everyone. Downstairs we will have a venue which will resemble the pub experience, and the upstairs it is basically my baby, which will be dedicated to fine dining. It will be something that you cannot find anywhere else in Nottingham."
He spoke to Nottinghamshire Live near the restaurant on Tuesday, where temperatures reached 17C on a glorious sunny day, through noise coming from work on site. Speaking of his ambitions for the restaurant, which is nearing completion, Chef Henry added: "It is clear that this is the project of my life."
Jobs will be created - with more than 80 new roles to fill. The roles on offer will be available for those interested in working in the Island Quarter's upcoming hospitality venues under the leadership of the celebrity chef.
A range of positions are available across all areas of the restaurants, including front of house, back of house, and events. This includes bar staff roles and waiting positions, through to senior sous chef and sales and marketing team members. Chef Henry added: “We’re delighted to kick-start our recruitment drive and can’t wait to meet prospective employees over the coming months as we build our team. Being from Nottingham myself, I’m really looking forward to investing in the region’s best and brightest talent, offering them opportunities to develop their careers and learn alongside me as we launch this unique venture.
“It’s important for us to look beyond the job descriptions, and ensure we look for candidates who share our vision and values, take pride in their work and embrace creativity. We want our new team members to share our passion for this unique offering and feel a sense of excitement in being part of the city’s biggest regeneration project.”
Newly-appointed operation manager Gary Rudkin, who has recently taken on the project, went on to say that the Island Quarter is the "most exciting project in the East Midlands". He added: "I am more than hopeful about its success. There is nothing like it in Nottingham - and I believe that it will be people's natural curiosity that will land itself an increase in footfall."
John Whitehead, food, beverage and events project director, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to work alongside Laurence and other experienced hospitality professionals in the city’s most exciting venue.
“We’re committed to building an industry-leading hospitality team to create a premier food, drink and events destination in Nottingham, where people not only want to spend time, but work as well. We are excited to start receiving applications and look forward to an exciting few months as we gear up for opening.”
The Island Quarter will open its doors to the venues, marking Phase 1A of the development, in summer 2022. The land is situated between London Road and Manvers Street. More than 4,000 jobs are expected to be created across the wider stages of the ambitious redevelopment programme.
Once home to the Jesse Boot empire, operations from the site were instrumental during wartime. Sections of the original Island Street site have been redeveloped over the years, with the likes of the BBC building and the NHS walk-in centre built. But a large section has remained undeveloped with Conygar now leading the regeneration.
