An award-winning restaurant which has been one of the most decorated in Yorkshire since opening less than three years ago will be joined this week by a companion venue at the side of Hull Marina.
1884 Dock Street Kitchen has scooped regional and national awards as well as rave reviews from renowned food writers since it opened its doors in June 2012. The owners of the business, Hull-based Headstart Group, unveiled 1884 Wine & Tapas on Thursday 14 May,
The new venue has emerged from the major refurbishment of The Wilson, a restaurant and café bar which opened in October 2010 on the ground floor of one of Headstart’s riverside residential developments at Freedom Quay, close to the marina lock gates.
Deborah Spicer, an original member of the team at The Wilson and now manager at the new venture, is joined by chef Dan Poole in a 15-strong team.
Deborah said: “1884 Wine & Tapas is another bold move by Headstart Group. We can assure diners that we’ll be serving to the same quality offered by 1884 Dock Street Kitchen and The Wilson before that, and we are sure they will respond with the same level of enthusiasm.
“The success of the previous restaurants has set some very high standards and the 1884 brand is now recognised nationally as a mark of excellence. We’ve got a big reputation to live up to, and that will be our inspiration.”
Named after the The Wilson Line, once the biggest privately-owned shipping company in the world, The Wilson embraced a strong nautical theme when it opened as a café bar during the day and a fine-dining restaurant by night.
It triggered the regeneration of the marina area by offering something completely different from the neighbouring pubs, all of which have since been upgraded. New café bars have also arrived, but 1884 Dock Street Kitchen became the jewel in the marina’s crown.
Chef/patron of 1884 James Allcock won the Young Entrepreneur of the Award at the Hull Daily Mail Business Awards in 2013 as the restaurant was named Start-Up Business of the Year. Also in 2013, 1884 won the Yorkshire Restaurant of the Award in Welcome to Yorkshire’s White Rose Awards, as well as winning an award from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) for the restoration of its building.
In 2014, 1884 won gold in the Taste of England category of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. This year it was named Remarkable Restaurant of the Year in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs).
The restaurant’s achievements have been endorsed by glowing reviews in the Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Independent.
Whereas 1884 Dock Street Kitchen will see James continuing to create masterly traditional dishes with a twist, the new 1884 Wine & Tapas will bring a touch of the Mediterranean to the Humber Riviera.
The location puts both restaurants in the heart of Hull’s cultural quarter, the venue for such major events as the Freedom Festival and Humber Street Sesh and the centrepiece of the 2017 City of Culture activities.
The refurbishment and conversion from The Wilson extends the bar and kitchen areas, with seating booths installed along the windows to give diners a view of the marina. The al fresco quayside dining area has been retained, giving 1884 Wine & Tapas a capacity of more than 100.
Dan said: “We’ll be doing something different, not just from 1884 Dock Street Kitchen but from anywhere else in the area. There may be other places serving Mediterranean-themed cuisine but we will have the quality of food and service and the unbeatable location which have combined to make both restaurants so popular in the past.”
Deborah added: “We’ve resisted the temptation to go for a big launch event but we’ve had a few regulars coming in to sample the new dishes and we’ll be open officially from midday on Thursday.
“We’ve also done a bit of work behind the scenes on a new website which brings both restaurants together under the 1884 banner. It also underlines their distinct identities and offers and it will be the place to go for daily updates on the delights available, and for details of our future plans for exciting food and drink projects.”
