The Northgate, a stylish new ‘house’ in the heart of Bury St Edmunds which offers an informal, relaxed space to eat, drink and stay has officially opened.
Early feedback and bookings have been overwhelmingly positive. In its opening week, The Northgate has already hosted a networking breakfast for the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, a ‘Best of Bury St Edmunds’ meeting chaired by Rt Hon Jo Churchill MP and a media event, while bedrooms are already fully booked for the opening weekend.
The Northgate’s ‘house’ concept is a first for East Anglia. It is now open all day, throughout the week, and includes 10 individually styled bedrooms, a dining area, bar, Chef’s Table, heated terrace and parking.
The interior design of the ‘house’ was led by Amanda Turner with help from Sophie Grattan Bellew, part of the project management team. The furnishing of the house has a significant local emphasis with over 70% of The Northgate’s preferred suppliers coming from within Bury St Edmunds.
The menu on offer at The Northgate, changes throughout the day, showcasing the best regional produce and is available to both residents and non-residents. Guests can enjoy a traditional breakfast and relaxed lunch, while in the evening, more refined dishes with modern European flavours, will be served. The Northgate’s stylish bar, overlooking the garden terrace, offers an extensive drinks menu including The Northgate’s unique house cocktails.
Diners can also experience The ‘Chef’s Table’ in the heart of the kitchen – the perfect setting to experience the buzz of the kitchen while the chefs prepare your dishes in front of your eyes.
Over the festive period, The Northgate will be open for lunch on Christmas Day and will also be serving a celebratory dinner on New Year’s Eve. For reservations, visit www.thenorthgate.com.
Speaking about the opening, Philip Turner, Founder and CEO of The Chestnut Group, said:
“We are immensely proud to have opened the doors to The Northgate and we’re delighted with the warm feedback from our first guests. It’s been a tremendous effort from the whole team to bring our vision for The Northgate to life.
“Bury St Edmunds is thriving and we hope The Northgate will become the heartbeat of this growing community, a place locals are keen to drop in at any time for any occasion and a true destination of choice for visitors to the area. We look forward to welcoming you into our house soon.”
The Northgate is part of The Chestnut Group, a Suffolk-based company that owns and manages a growing portfolio of properties including the renowned The Packhorse Inn near Newmarket, the recently opened The White Horse in Easton, The Rupert Brooke in Cambridge and the recently acquired The Three Blackbirds near Newmarket.
The company secured a £500,000 loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking to support its extensive refurbishment work.
Chris Fuller, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “We’ve worked with The Chestnut Group for a number of years and have previously supported the purchase and refurbishment of its three additional sites”.