A lost Liverpool venue that brought a touch of Essex to the city saw a number of celebrities pass through its doors.
Located on Victoria Street, many will remember The SHE club being a city hot spot until its closure in 1989 and later transforming into
The Living Room in the early noughties, which boasted a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, a club called Mosquito below and a secret VIP bar and club - Vampire - below that. The popular celebrity haunt closed its doors in 2014 - but it later got a new lease of life.
In 2016, the Liverpool venue became the first Sugar Hut to open outside Brentwood, Essex, where the original venue had shot to fame as a favourite on TOWIE. Launched by the late Mick Norcross and Terry Pullen, the blend of British dining room, cocktail lounge and two clubs in one place is now home to restaurant Dash and XOXO nightclub
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But during its short time in Liverpool, it did see a number of locals and celebrities pass through its doors. In March 2016, it was announced that the TOWIE Sugar Hut was to open in the former Living Room venue. At the time, co-owner Terry Pullen told the ECHO: "We’re really excited about coming to Liverpool. It’s something we’ve been looking at for a long time now.
"It was just about finding the right site - and this one is perfect for us. The Living Room was the place to be in its day and we want to breathe new life into it. Victoria Street is a great place for us to be and the space itself is fantastic.
“Upstairs we’ll have a real emphasis on food, then there will be two floors for the club below. There’s a lot of work to do and we’re looking to bring in an amazing international designer, but we hope to be open by September this year."
The landmark premises underwent an extensive £1.6m refurbishment overseen by interior designer Shaun Clarkson, before launching to the public. Terry, said that Liverpool was the "natural" choice for the new venue as the city has a reputation for being stylish and a "similar social scene to Essex.
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At the launch, celebrities from across the UK turned out, including stars from Love Island, Hollyoaks and Ex on Beach. Scott Thomas and Kady McDermott, Jessica Hayes and Katie Salmon, Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen and Josh Ritchie, all from Love Island, were some of the first to arrive.
Duncan James, Chelsee Healey, Sophie Porley, Anna Passey, Jessica Ellis other members of the Hollyoaks cast were all papped on the red carpet. Geordie Shore’s James Tindale, Ex On the Beach star Mel Reeves and Big Brother star Alex Cannon also attended the launch.
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The business opened with 34 booth tables, make-up and powder rooms for the selfie lovers and even phone charging facilities. It's restaurant also featured something for everyone with dishes such as steak, lobster and burgers, as well as Sunday roasts and light bites on offer.
It boasted long arched windows, golden lights and flower-filled dark wood tables with navy and red chairs oozed elegance. Some of the booths were also bubblegum pink.
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When it opened, the ECHO went along to review the Sugar Hut menu. At the time, the menu’s cheapest bottle of fizz on a list which included champagnes at up to £800 a bottle was a Santa Eleni prosecco for £27.45.
Lobster mac ‘n’ cheese balls were £8 from the appetisers menu, the Sugar Hut Prime Burger was £8, a Chicken Breast Sandwich cost £7 and a Portobello Mushroom and Halloumi Burger cost £7 with rocket. Customers could also enjoy fancy sides such as truffle and parmesan chips or a mixed trio of desserts.
At the time, the ECHO said: "The staff themselves had played an important part in making our night, all smiles and very helpful with a witty sense of humour. The well-groomed waiters clearly cared about the restaurant and were sad it was not busier - and given their low workload they did well to avoid overbearing us."
Known for its showbiz clientelle, the celeb hotspot welcomed the likes of Joey Essex, Big Brother’s Nikki Graeme, Natasha Hamilton and Ray Quinn. The bar also made headlines when then LFC star Philippe Coutinho joined team-mate Lucas Leiva on the DJ decks for the club’s end of season party.
The players celebrated their Champion’s League qualification with an impromptu performance in the DJ booth, while fellow players including Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne and Simon Mignolet danced to the music. The duo spent an hour with the T1meless events DJs and played tracks including Justin Beiber and Clean Bandit.
But by February 2018, Sugar Hut shut its doors after its team announced it wished to focus on other venues. A statement, issued by management at the time, read: "Liverpool Sugar Hut is closing its doors to focus on its highly acclaimed flagship business in other areas.
"After being enthusiastically welcomed by the city the local team created an award winning, safe and well reputed entertainment venue, bringing hugely positive regeneration to the Victoria Street area. Sugar Hut want to thank their staff, clientele and the community of Liverpool for their support and are proud to have been a part of such a great city’s continued growth."
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