The champagne corks were popping at a Newtown restaurant this week to celebrate its inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2019 edition.
The Granary has also been awarded a Michelin Plate, a symbol for quality food in a restaurant.
The restaurant has changed direction with a brand-new team, serving modern cuisine with fine dining and a la carte options. Its focus has been on using good quality, local suppliers where possible and providing more vegan and vegetarian options.
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Anna Cooperwhite, restaurant owner, is thrilled that the restaurant has been recognised in the MICHELIN Guide. She thanked her staff for their hard work and determination to rebrand the restaurant and her customers who have supported the change in direction.
“We were shocked when we heard the news and delighted that all the hard work put in by our small team has been recognised at such a prestigious level,” she said.
“As a small boutique restaurant, all the staff are passionate about serving great food and accompanying drinks. This recognition has been a real boost to the team and to the town where we have a number of fantastic restaurants.”
In 2017, Anna refurbished and rebranded the restaurant to create a more modern and stylish look and feel which also played a part in the Michelin scoring procedure.
“We wanted to make an environment which is comfortable for everyone to enjoy. Whether customers want to pop in for a drink or a sit-down meal, we wanted to create an environment which made customers feel relaxed and well looked after.”
Due to popular demand, the restaurant decided to re-open the upstairs bar, which is open for drinks on a Friday and Saturday from 5pm. A ‘nibbles’ menu, which is available upstairs and in the Mediterranean garden, has also been introduced this month.
October has seen two events so far, reintroducing a ‘Sunday Club’ with Sunday lunch served in the restaurant until 4pm. Then, from 5pm, there is live music with an open mic session and a nibble menu until 9pm.
“The idea came from local people telling us that there’s not much going on in Newtown on a Sunday and, with most places closing for lunch at 3pm. We decided to extend our Sunday lunch till 4pm and offer nibbles until 9pm,” explained Anna.
“We ran our first open mic this Sunday and we received a good turnout for the event.”
The Granary also introduced the first of its monthly ‘jazz club’ events with a specially adapted three course meal menu, followed by an evening of jazz with ‘Trio Des Mons’. The event was a huge success and sold out days before the event took place.
“It has been really encouraging for us that there is an appetite in Newtown for our new direction and one which we hope will go from strength to strength,” added Anna.
