Restaurant Lovage was purchased by partners Lee (chef) and Kate (restaurant manager) in February this year and following a full refurbishment they planned to open in April.
Unfortunately they never got the doors open but have stayed optimistic throughout the Corona Virus pandemic and were determined to open one way or another whenever safe.
After 16 year of grafting, Chef Owner Lee Smith has worked his way up from a pot washer to head chef, with achievements such as holding one Michelin star and becoming a finalist for his region in the 2019 Great British Menu.
Lee’s passion is cooking food that is sentimental to his upbringing and reflects his growth as a chef. He has a community conscious mind-set which has planted the seed for his latest endeavour to open restaurant Lovage - A modern British restaurant with a casual country vibe.
Lee & Kate have separated the space into Restaurant Lovage, offering casual fine dining, and Coffee by Lovage, a specialty coffee shop offering coffee, cakes, light lunches and a full bar menu all day from 9am to 4pm.
Coffee by Lovage opened on the 4th of July and is currently open 7 days a week. They have also held 'small bites nights' on Saturday evenings throughout July in a casual tapas style setting. A little taste of what is to come from Restaurant Lovage. The small bites nights have been a huge success and were fully booked each Saturday.
Restaurant Lovage will finally open the doors for evening offerings on the 6th of August. An À la Carte menu and Tasting Menu is available Thursday to Saturday evenings with reduced capacity whilst restrictions are still in place.
They are currently fully booked for the first weekend of opening but have opened online reservations from the 13th of August onwards.
Kate said “Opening Coffee by Lovage first has allowed Lee and myself to work side by side in front of house and have enjoyed getting to know our guests and the lovely locals of Bakewell and surrounds.”
“We have a small tight knit team who all bring excellent customer service and a passion for all things food and wine. We are very excited to be finally opening the doors and welcoming the many people who have supported us throughout the last few months.”
“We would not be where we are today without the amazing support from Bakewell and the surrounding areas whom have welcomed us with open arms.”
Find out more at restaurantlovage.co.uk
